Heartstopper’s Kit Connor Looks Unrecognizable With Beard & Long Hair

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Kit Connoris making hearts stop with his latest transformation.

Joe Locke, the actor known for his role as Nick Nelson in the Netflix series Heartstopper, surprised fans with a new look after letting his beard and hair grow long.

Kit revealed his new hairstyle in a photo shared on Instagram by GQ style director Zak Maoui. The photo also featured his Heartstopper co-stars, Joe Locke and Tobie Donovan.

The 22-year-old gave a thumbs-up and smiled for the camera. Joe, who plays Kit’s love interest Charlie Spring, playfully stuck his tongue out. Tobie, who plays their friend Isaac Henderson, smiled while holding up his drink.

Kit’s physical transformations have gotten attention before. Last year, he impressed fans by sharing a video on YouTube – posted with powerlifter Nathaniel Massiah – that showed off his workout routine and impressive physique.

Kit explained he decided to change his appearance after hearing from fans of Heartstopper. They commented on his depiction of Nick, who is portrayed as muscular in the original graphic novels by Alice Oseman.

He described the character he was cast to play as being around six foot two and very muscular. At the time of the announcement, he was shorter and less built than the character. He remembered seeing online comments questioning whether he was thin enough for the role, which motivated him to start eating a lot more to bulk up.

I was doing around 200 push-ups daily, but it mainly just developed my chest muscles. You can actually see this in Heartstopper – there are a few scenes where I’m wearing a very tight shirt, and my chest looked quite prominent. That’s when I started seriously working out at the gym.

However, Kit found some online discussion unhelpful. He explained that he felt pressured to publicly come out as bisexual after being accused of ‘queerbaiting’ – a practice where someone hints at being LGBTQ+ to gain attention – while promoting his new teenage drama.

In 2022, Kit posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I’m bisexual. And congratulations to those who pressured an 18-year-old to publicly come out.” They then added, “I think many of you misunderstood the show’s message. Goodbye.” The post has since been deleted.

Honestly, all the crazy fan theories and love haven’t changed Kit at all – he is Nick Nelson! It makes me so happy to see how fully he’s embraced the character. And get this – he actually won an Emmy for his performance in 2022! I almost screamed! The best part? There’s going to be a movie! He’s coming back as Nick one last time to wrap up the story, and I’m already counting down the days!

Kit isn’t alone in dramatically changing their look. Here are some other celebrities who’ve embraced big transformations…

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards’ daughter documented her attempt to dye her hair at home on TikTok, showing all the mistakes she made along the way, and ultimately shared how happy she was with the final look.

She said she’d been dreaming about this hairstyle for years and was thrilled to finally have it done.

The country music star revealed a new hair color on Instagram in August 2025, ditching her famous blonde for her natural shade. She wrote that she hadn’t seen her natural hair color since she was around 12 years old, but decided it was time for a change.

To prepare for his return as Duncan Idaho in Dune: Part Three, the actor shaved off his beard in July 2025 – something he hadn’t done in six years.

The singer who won American Idol showed off a new, shorter haircut in a The Voice advertisement released in July 2025. She swapped her long, blonde wavy hair for a shorter, darker bob.

The actor debuted a bearded look, which he sports on season two of The Terminal List, in June 2025.

In May 2025, the actor known for Stranger Things surprised fans with a new look: a buzzcut. He revealed the hairstyle at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo, Japan.

In April 2025, the Marvel actor who plays Bucky Barnes debuted a shaved head at the Los Angeles premiere of Thunderbolts, signaling the end of the character’s long hair.

In March 2025, the “Karma” singer debuted her rainbow mohawk at the GLAAD Media Awards. 

In a TikTok video from March 2025, the model described getting bangs as the ‘worst haircut of my life’.

In March 2025, Gypsy Rose Blanchard showed off a new, shorter hairstyle. This was about two months after she and her fiancé, Ken Urker, welcomed their daughter, Aurora Urker.

In January 2025, the reality TV star from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, who used to be known for her blond hair, showed off a new red bob hairstyle on Watch What Happens Live.

I’ve noticed Hailey Bieber has been rocking a lighter hair color recently! She debuted the new look in September 2024, just a month after welcoming her and Justin Bieber’s first child, a little boy named Jack Blues Bieber. It’s such a fun time for them as new parents!

Lily Collins, known for her role in Emily in Paris, unveiled a striking new look at the premiere of her latest film, MAXXXINE, in June 2024.

I love how a new hairstyle can really show a different side of who I am,” Lily shared with Vogue. “This cut and color feel both bolder and more freeing, and it feels truer to who I am at this moment.

At the Chanel Artists dinner during the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024, Katie showed off a new hairstyle featuring soft, caramel-colored highlights woven into her brown hair.

The Kardashian star showed off a new platinum blonde bob after previously having very long hair.

Kylie Jenner playfully asked if anyone missed her, referencing her nickname ‘king Kylie’ in an Instagram post on June 8th. Her sister, Khloé Kardashian, enthusiastically responded, confirming that she did indeed miss her!

The former Bravo star debuted a platinum blonde look during 2024 Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture.

In May 2024, the actress from Heads of State showed off a new, shorter hairstyle – a bob that hits around her shoulders – at a Bulgari event in Rome.

In May 2024, the actress debuted a new bob haircut that many fans immediately compared to a style she wore while playing Mary Camden on the ’90s TV show 7th Heaven.

In May 2024, the actress known for her role in Transformers went back to her natural dark brown hair and showed off a stylish bob haircut. This came just a month after she’d dyed her hair blue as part of what she called her “Jedi era.”

Seventeen-year-old Dannielynn Birkhead, the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith, showed off a fresh, shoulder-length haircut this weekend while attending the Kentucky Derby with her father, Larry Birkhead.

The singer debuted a lighter, shorter ‘do in April 2024.

The Fashion Police alum debuted a blonde bombshell hair transformation May 8.

Back to blonde: Kim debuted a new platinum ‘do in April 2024.

Rihanna, who founded Fenty Beauty, revealed a new bright blonde hairstyle on April 17th while celebrating her latest collaboration between Fenty and Puma in London.

The model debuted a bleach blonde pixie cut at the FRAME event April 4.

Megan Fox, known for her role in Jennifer’s Body, recently changed her hair color from pink to a light blue, revealing the new style on April 2nd.

Just weeks after getting a long bob haircut, Zendaya unveiled a new honey blonde color at the premiere of her movie, Challengers, on March 26th.

The Great star ushered in spring with a fresh cut, as she debuted a long bob March 25.

On March 18th, the actress known for her role in Mean Girls changed her hair from blonde to a dark brown color.

The Selling Sunset star showed off a striking new blonde hairstyle on March 16, and fans barely recognized her.

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2026-03-13 00:48