Three series in, it’s time for Tori – one of Heartstopper’s most intriguing characters – to really step out of the shadows. While much of the narrative—based on Alice Oseman’s heartwarming, feel-good graphic novels—has focused on the evolving relationship between teenagers Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), the supporting cast has also had its moments to shine. However, Charlie’s sister Tori—the deliciously enigmatic Wednesday Addams-like figure, with her thick fringe, emotionless expression, and super dry deadpan delivery—has so far only appeared occasionally, offering dry commentary at key moments. But in this latest series, Tori finally takes centre stage as she not only helps her brother Charlie deal with some serious mental health issues, but also finds herself developing a relationship with a guy called Michael. “It was a fun challenge to make her a bit more three-dimensional,” she tells us as she whisked off to finish up the pictures.

Despite her limited modelling experience, Jenny is a natural in front of the camera – even when some of the more elaborate outfits prove tricky. Once the shoot wraps, Jenny changes back into the casual clothes she arrived in and sits with us on a comfy couch that looks out across a moody London skyline. Here, she chats about how her life has changed since Heartstopper blew up, her dreams of starring on Doctor Who, and how appearing in the show made her take a closer look at who she really is.

Coat Keburia / Skirt Stylist’s own / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Aloë

We’ve loved Tori from series one. But we’re hoping that now she might have found a boyfriend, she doesn’t lose her Wednesday Addams vibe and start smiling too much.

I hate to tell you, there is some smiling this season. Actually, it was an interesting task to work out how Tori smiles because she’s always been more of a one-note character, just popping up with brief moments. But now that she interacts with more characters and in social settings, I had to flesh out the softer parts of her.

I think we saw a glimpse of it in the last series when she got pissed off with Nick’s nasty brother.

Yes, there was a little bit of development. We saw more shades of her personality.

Doing photo shoots for the series like this must be an exciting addition to your workload, or is it something you’re not yet comfortable with?

It’s definitely exciting, but a bit baffling too. I mean, why does anybody want to know who I am? You want fans to get a glimpse into your personal life, but at the same time, it’s that age-old question of how much you let people in. I like to keep a balance because some of my favorite actors remain a bit aloof, allowing you to see them as the character, not just them in a different outfit.

Coat Keburia / Shorts Stylist’s own / Shoes Essen

Yeah, there’s a bit of playing a character in photoshoots, right?

Definitely. Once you get past the ego part of it and let go of control, it can be fun. But it’s new for me.

Heartstopper has become such a phenomenon globally that life must feel so different for you all. Did you expect it to grow into this?

It’s weird because, on one hand, we knew the webcomics and books were already hugely popular, so we had a captive audience, which was both a blessing and a curse. We had passionate fans with strong ideas of how things should be. But, by and large, the fans were happy, and the show even brought new readers to the books. I’m just immensely happy it exists.

Social media plays a big role in this kind of audience. There’s a lot of interaction. Has it been a positive experience?

I wasn’t announced as part of the cast at the same time as everyone else before the first season, so I was able to watch the others get a following while I stayed in the background. I actually took some of the viral pictures of the cast that fans were posting, but I wasn’t in them! However, once I was announced, I got a big influx of followers. But I know that a lot of people follow you for access to someone else, so you can’t let the numbers go to your head.

Yeah, the online world can be wild. Did you see Chappell Roan’s TikTok rant about “weird” fans recently? She made some good points about fans crossing the line.

She made valid points. Fans sometimes confuse actors with their characters and forget that we have boundaries too. I don’t get recognised too much. I don’t look much like Tori in real life, especially since my hair is shorter now. And my fringe is like a disguise!

Dress Nadine Merabi / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Aloë

Joe and Kit’s careers have skyrocketed after the show took off. Do you feel like you’ll stay close, like as uni mates?

Definitely. Even though I didn’t have many scenes with the others in season one, I spent a lot of time with Joe, so we’ll always have that bond. I think the whole cast will stay close.

It’s lovely to see Joe doing so well. It was his first job, and now he’s doing Broadway shows, American talk shows, and Agatha All Along. How do you think he’s handled the spotlight?

He’s taken it all in his stride. I remember talking to him about those big moments, and I’d be falling to pieces! But he’s always been grounded. His family is very supportive, and he’s got a good head on his shoulders.

He came from the Isle of Man, didn’t he? He didn’t exactly lead a flashy life.

Yeah, it’s interesting. There aren’t many people who’ve moved into superstardom like him and Samantha Barks. His life couldn’t have been more different when he finished filming season 1 and went back home. He said at the time, “I don’t want to go back. I want this now.”

That’s fantastic. So, tell us, what were you doing before Heartstopper? You studied ballet when you were younger, didn’t you?

Yes, I did, from age two to eighteen, about five or six times a week by the end. It was my first love, but I didn’t have the specific body type or flexibility to go professional. I enjoyed the academic side of school too, so I never pursued it full-time. Quite a few well-known girls in my class went on to do it vocationally. A couple of them ended up in acting and performing arts. I’ve met them at events. Daniela Norman was in Cats and then in the Netflix show. Samira Mighty from Love Island was in my class and so was Anya Taylor Joy.

Dress Nadine Merabi / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Stylist’s own

But was ballet as intense as it’s portrayed in films like Black Swan?

It is intense, though I wasn’t at a professional level like in Black Swan. It’s brutal on your body, especially with pointe work, but I loved it. It’s great discipline and training.

Do you miss it?

I do. I was in great shape and incredibly strong, but I never quite had it. Ballet requires a very specific body type and flexibility. I enjoyed the academic side of school as well, so it was never a serious career option. There was maybe one point when my mom asked if I wanted to apply to a performing arts school, but I didn’t really know about that. I went to a non-dance school and started doing more acting because they had a great performing arts department. For a while, I thought I wanted to be a doctor for a long time.

Really?

Yeah, I did science A-levels. My sister studied medicine, and after seeing how intense it was, I realised I didn’t want to do just that. If I became a doctor, it’d be more like Harry Hill – I’d do it for a bit and then move on to something else.

Top and skirt Karina Bond / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Stylist’s own

What, wearing shirts with big collars?

Exactly. So, I did a science degree. But I loved acting. There were great drama societies at uni, all student-run, and I was doing National Youth Theatre every summer. Eventually, I joined the National Youth Theatre Rep Company, which is about nine months long and free – important for most people. You do some training and shows. We performed at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End. It’s full-on, but great training for learning on the job. They invite agents, and that’s how I got mine. That was the year after I left Durham, and it’s been eight years now.

Has it been an easy process? A lot of actors find it hard to get jobs.

I just want to be a working actor. It doesn’t need to be Hollywood, but as long as I can call acting my job, I’m happy. It took a good year before I got my first job. Before I did National Youth Theatre Rep, I did some understudy work in Scarborough. Alan Ayckbourn was directing. It was just understudy work, but great training. I also did a bit of stage management on the side, and he was very keen on training people in all aspects of theatre. Alan is a genius. It’s a great opportunity to just watch him work. I think he’ll never stop writing plays. But yeah, it took about a year after I signed with my agent to get anything. I did a lot of stage work at first.

So you did mostly stage work then?

Yes, my first screen work came during COVID, which was strange because I never experienced a normal set. It was Call the Midwife.

That’s a good place for young actors to learn.

Absolutely. I wasn’t playing one of the nurses or midwives, just a patient, but it was a great job. Although it was a bit stressful with COVID, no one really talked about the pressure of needing a certain number of negative tests to keep the job.

Heartstopper is primarily geared toward a younger audience, but it has resonated with people of all ages. Were you surprised by that?

I sort of sensed that although it was aimed at young audiences, it wouldn’t be watched by just young people. I’m about ten years older than Kit and Joe, but I found the books during COVID, and I learned a lot about myself through them, including about my own sexuality. There’s so much in the show that’s relevant to everyone, not just young people or the queer community. Some older people might find it hard to watch because it reminds them of what they didn’t have, but it can also be cathartic to know future generations do have that support.

Heartstopper raises awareness of topics like asexuality, which many people may not be familiar with but may be dealing with themselves. The show does an excellent job at starting conversations people might not have considered before.

A hundred percent. I think a lot of people, as they get older, have realisations and learn about new labels. That’s what labels are for—whether you like them or not—to give a name to feelings you couldn’t articulate before. Someone watching Isaac’s story might go, “Oh, that could be me,” and start doing some research. The show isn’t going to tell you who you are, but it gives you something to think about.

Heartstopper can feel like group therapy and healing. It makes you feel like the world is a good place, which is what’s needed, especially compared to something like Euphoria, which is so intense.

I think both shows are useful tools, though. You need a bit of both, as long as you watch everything with an objective eye.

Coat Keburia / Skirt Stylist’s own / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Aloë

It’s such a lovely, idealistic portrayal of teenage life, but is it too idealistic compared to reality!

It is idealistic, but I think that’s what makes it special. Some people don’t like it because they find it too saccharine, but I hope it makes people believe that a world like that is possible.

When you were a teenager, were you more of an idealist or a rebel?

Much more of an idealist. I did ballet all the time, so didn’t really go out or get wild. I had my first drink at the leavers’ party in year eleven! I was fairly boring, and pretty geeky.

But we do see a darker edge in this season, don’t we?

This season definitely has a tougher edge compared to previous ones. I wouldn’t say it’s darker, but the tone is more serious at times, especially with some of the issues being addressed. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, because teenage life isn’t. We’re just showing that reality.

In what way?

I’d say every character has something to overcome. I don’t want to give too much away, but Darcy definitely faces some changes and embraces a new living situation. Tara, on the other hand, has to deal with mental health challenges—not necessarily issues, but the pressures of teenage life really hit her hard this season.

And of course, Charlie and Tori’s relationship is strengthened, isn’t it?

Well, there were hints in previous seasons that both Charlie and Tori have moments of tension with their parents, particularly with their mum. In this season, Charlie’s relationship with their mum really comes to a head, and through that, Tori also ends up clashing with her while supporting Charlie. Within the household, there are a lot of complex dynamics—between our mum and dad, and between the siblings themselves. It feels very real and layered. Things are changing—you know, your body, your mind, and the circumstances around you. But I must stress, there are still plenty of lovely, light moments as well.

Dress Nadine Merabi / Shoes Malone Souliers / Earrings Aloë

Well, that’s good! It’d be disappointing, if it suddenly went all EastEnders, with someone buried in the coffee shop!

There are no deaths! I can assure you of that.

So, what’s next for you? Are you looking to move into other roles now?

Yes, I have a dark thriller coming out in the next few months that I filmed in Berlin. I’m playing a character who’s a bit older, around 31, so that’s exciting. It’s very different from Heartstopper, and I’m looking forward to doing more roles that challenge me.

We also hear that you want to appear in Doctor Who. You even gave Russell T Davies a shout-out on Tia Kofi’s The Final FronTia YouTube channel. Have you heard back from him?

Not yet, but I’m still hoping! I love the show. It’s one of the things that got me into acting in the first place.

Couldn’t Yasmin [Finney] put a good word in for you?

Well, I was at her birthday party recently and I met Varada Sethu who is the new companion and we had a good chat and she said she could see what she could do. So fingers crossed!

Heartstopper season 3 is available now on Netflix.

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