Sebastian Croft is “excited” for Heartstopper fans to watch his latest film How to Date Billy Walsh.
The Prime Video rom-com stars the British actor and Bridgerton alum Charithra Chandran as Archie and Amelia, teenagers who have been inseparable besties since childhood.
Unbeknownst to Amelia, Archie is head-over-heels in love her. His plans to declare his feelings are thwarted with the arrival of Billy Walsh (Tanner Buchanan), a charming American transfer student who immediately catches Amelia’s eye.
How to Date Billy Walsh follows Archie in his attempts to keep Amelia and Billy apart, but – as the synopsis reads – he “ends up pushing them closer together and risks losing his best friend in the process”.
Croft memorably shot to fame in the first two seasons of Netflix’s lauded LGBTQIA+ teen series Heartstopper as Ben, the closeted and manipulative ex of Joe Locke’s lead Charlie.
Speaking with GAY TIMES, Croft says he’s excited for his fans to see him play a character who’s not – in his words – a “psychopath”: “[Or] weasel, we’ll go with weasel.
“I just found it very exciting to be in the middle of something with Charithra and Tanner and to step up as young actors. I’ve worked on lots of things where I’ve looked up to people and been reliant on other actors to make me feel comfortable.
“So to step up and say, ‘We’re gonna take ownership over this film and work really hard and together and make sure it’s a nice environment on set,’ was a big challenge and one I really enjoyed.”
Although Croft won’t return for the third season of Heartstopper, he ‘hopes’ the fandom will continue to follow him in his career.
“[Their support is] so lovely,” he says. “It’s such a pinch me moment to even be in a film like this, but to see people excited and care about what you’re making as an artist is such a joy and privilege.
“Also, it’s nice to be in a project that really aligns with what I think [the Heartstopper] fanbase will love. I love it, and I hope that other people do.”
In similar vein to Croft, Chandran has garnered a devoted fanbase as a result of her role as Edwina Sharma in Netflix’s historical romance series Bridgerton, for which she earned a National Television Award nomination for ‘Rising Star’.
Having passionate supporters is a huge “responsibility” to Chandran: “We have these fanbases who do support us. The fact that in this film, we do have such a diverse supporting cast and in the main cast, we’re so diverse…
“To be able to present a beautiful world like that where everyone feels accepted is really special, and I’m excited for my audience to see it and see what’s possible in the world.”
Premiering 5 April on Prime Video, How to Date Billy Walsh also stars Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Guz Khan (Army of Thieves), Lucy Punch (Ella Enchanted) and Daisy Jelley (London Kills).
You can watch our interview with Sebastian Croft and Charithra Chandran in full here or below.
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