Something went wrong.

We've been notified of this error.

Need help? Check out our Help Centre.

Tobie Donovan

2nd October 2024

Photographer & Editor-in-chief: Owen James Vincent

Interview & Digital Editor: Pankhuri Bhutani

Grooming: Brandon Gaunt

Hairstylist: Lucy Muyanga

Styling: Ju Hui

Retoucher: Edd Kaspar

Photographer Assistant: Amber Saunders

Espoused in a bright and introverted personality while never being witnessed without a book in his hand, Isaac Henderson won the hearts of every viewer who watched the LGBT+ inclusive project ever since he graced our screens.

Reflecting on how he defines Isaac's arc in the forthcoming season, his reactions to reading the sequences revealing Isaac's asexuality, his favourite scenes to shoot, and many more significant insights into portraying his character within the third installment of the show, Tobie Donovan joins us as our latest cover star to discuss all things HEARTSTOPPER. 

Top, Grace Weller 
Ring, LAG world
Shoes, Maison Margiela

Hi there Tobie. Thank you for joining me! So, as we are approaching the third season of Heartstopper, what was it like getting back into the shoes of Isaac.

Do you think it was easier to portray him this time around now that you have embodied him in the previous two seasons or did you face any challenges? 

No, it was actually really easy to get back into the character. 

Like I've been playing this character for three and a half years now. So it's very ingrained and it's such a joy to get to do this job and to hang out with my friends all the time so it wasn't difficult to do any of it. I loved it. 

How was it like reuniting with your castmates? Do you remember the first time you met them as compared to now that you have worked with them over the course of all these three seasons?

The first time we met was around three and a half years ago. I remember just being so nervous, like really scared because the six of them had all done a chemistry read together so they all kind of were familiar faces and then they couldn't find anyone for my character. 

They didn't know what they were looking for and I got cast like a week or two weeks before we all met for our first big read through and so they all kind of were familiar faces. So, I came in and I was like 'Oh my god, who are all these people?' But, yes, it is so nice to have been able to go on this journey with those amazing people. 

Isaac was introduced as an introverted, adorable character obsessed with books. What was your first impression of him when you read the Heartstopper script for the first time? And do you think those impressions stayed the same over these three seasons? 

I think it's a bit of both. My first impression was that he's a very astute young person. I think he's a lot wiser than I was at his age, and he's kind of very aware of everything that's going on around him. But then, yes, I guess my impression of him has changed.

I think just in understanding him more, and in the last two seasons getting to really kind of dive into the character and the story in a way that we didn't get to do in the first season has been really exciting. I believe he's a very complex individual, which was very fun to play.

Top, Sanna Patrick

Rings: LAG World, Retro Chic

Jacket, Tommy Jeans 

Shoes, Dr. Martens

This show has a plethora of diverse characters in it but I'm very curious to know how according to you does diversity play a significant part in elevating the storylines and the character arcs and what significance do you personally think diversity holds in terms of showcasing the true Heartstopper story.  

Yes, diversity is so integral to our show. They are things that are so linked. I believe in terms of the greater industry and the entertainment world, diversity is so crucial because more than anything else, nobody wants to watch the same story all the time. 

There's only so many superhero movies or dramas that you can watch about the same groups of people. It's so much more interesting when you can take a genre like that and flip it on its head by casting someone that wouldn't necessarily be in that role otherwise. So, yes, I do think diversity is very important. 

We definitely explored one of the most significant and revealing moments of Isaac as he finally discovered and realized he was inclining more towards asexuality and being an aroace. 

And playing one of the characters who is such a rare representative of the ace community on television screens, do you remember your own reaction to those sequences and this big reveal when you read them for the first time in the script or saw that being mentioned in Alice's tweet.  

I knew that we were going to do the asexual storyline since the first season so I kind of knew what was coming and I was able to plan it. What I've really loved about it is that we've told the story over all three seasons. It's been like a big arc that we were able to slowly and quite intricately plan. 

But the first time I read those scenes in Season Two, I remember just being very excited to get there on the day and do it. It's not very often that you get to tell a story as an actor that hasn't really been told before so that that was such a exciting opportunity for me to kind of get into and really examine a headspace that's so different from my own.

I think about what that must feel like for a young person to feel so completely different from everyone around them. 
It's kind of equal parts; really universal for being a teenager and then also really kind of individual to Isaac. I was very excited to tell that story. 

Knit Top, John Smedley

Cardigan, Maison Margiela

Neckless, LAG World  

Shoes, Vivienne Westwood 

What has been your favorite and most memorable sequence to shoot from this upcoming season? And is there any sequence that you're really looking forward and excited to get everyone's reactions on? 

There are lots of scenes that I'm very excited to get people's reactions to.

There's a really nice scene at the zoo that I'm very proud of where Isaac comes out to his friends. And I think that's a really nice moment because we kind of round off that asexual storyline in a really nice way of Isaac kind of bearing it all out to his friends.

One of my favorite memories on set involved a scene with myself, Joe (Locke), and Will (Gao). Joe is telling us some very exciting news, and me and Will were just having a lot of fun trying to throw him off and give him silly reactions back. So, that was a very funny day, trying to make Joe laugh. 

What can we expect in terms of Isaac's arc in this forthcoming season? I know we had the big reveal in the previous installment but what can the fans expect from his journey in this upcoming season? 

What I've really loved about Isaac's journey is the way that it has mirrored some other characters in the show. And so, like you say, at the end of last season, he has this kind of big 'aha' moment for himself as he realises that he thinks he's aromantic and asexual. 
But then this season is kind of a more 'Nick and Charlie in Season Two' arc where Isaac is now telling everyone, his friends, and his closest people in his life how he's been feeling which can also be a very scary thing. This season is more about him coming out, embracing his true self, and living as authentically as he wants to.

Lastly, what's next for you, Tobie? Anything apart from Heartstopper you're currently working on that you would like to tell us about? 

Oh, gosh. I mean there's nothing that I can talk about at the minute but hopefully some very exciting things soon. You'll have to keep an eye out. 

Watch our video interview with our cover star Tobie Donovan talking all things HEARTSTOPPER.

Tobie Donovan can be seen playing Isaac in the new season of Heartstopper on Netflix tomorrow.

Using Format