Without a doubt, it’s been one heart-stopper of a summer for Connor and his equally attractive, talented young castmates, who took over red carpets and runways one step at a time. Connor, 19, first caught our eye sitting front row at Loewe men’s spring/summer 2024 show in Paris back in June; just a few months later, he’s now graced the cover of Teen Vogue and been named as one of British GQ’s Men of the Year (side by side with none other than his on-screen boyfriend in Heartstopper, Joe Locke).

As Connor’s star inevitably continues to rise, we break down everything you need to know about the young actor ahead of his highly anticipated upcoming projects, including an adaptation of popular young adult novel A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow and – of course – season three of Heartstopper.

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Kit Connor’s first big break was a Sainsbury’s advertisement

In an August interview with British Vogue, Connor revealed that he owes his early beginnings to an unlikely place: British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s.

While the young star shared that his parents were initially against him pursuing an acting career, they took a chance on letting him appear in a Sainsbury’s ad nearly a decade ago, and the rest is now history. Connor’s first feature film appearance, the 2014 British Christmas comedy Get Santa, followed soon after.

He may be an A-list actor, but he still struggles in social situations

Even though his parents may have been hesitant to let him pursue acting as a profession, it turns out they may have been the ones who helped inspire that passion in the first place.

Connor, who has been publicly vocal about his shyness with strangers, told WWD this year that he actually got into acting around the age of six after his parents sent him to stage school to overcome his fear of social interaction. That may have backfired though, as Connor now claims the grind of being a young actor may have stunted him socially, telling British Vogue that unlike his Heartstopper character, he considers himself quite awkward to this day.

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He’s good friends with Elton John

Connor also remains on good terms with his Rocketman co-star Taron Egerton, who previously shot to stardom in the Kingsman films before taking on the role of John.

He felt “forced” to come out as bisexual last year

Connor found himself embroiled in controversy in late 2022, after photos of him holding hands with A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea And Tomorrow co-star Maia Reficco in Paris leaked online. Fans quickly took to social media to accuse him of “queerbaiting,” a term now used to refer to actors who play queer roles while appearing to be straight in real life.

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He’s just as buff as his Heartstopper character in real life

It’s no secret that Connor is a bit of a gym rat. But it wasn’t until personal trainer Nathaniel Massiah shared some thirst trap content of the young star this March that he really caught the attention of fans worldwide.

Those since-deleted shirtless gym photos of the actor, which quickly went viral on Instagram – along with a full-on training video posted on YouTube – show that Connor could give his character Nick Nelson a run for his money.