coat. Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini
earrings. SO-LE Studio
At first glance, Tori Spring looks like a one-dimensional character. Stereotypically moody, the default emo teen, with razor-sharp wit, existing as the occasional comic relief. But for those of us who have read Alice Oseman’s Solitaire — and thanks to Jenny Walser’s nuanced performance in Heartstopper — the character is so much more. She breathed life into Tori, growing her beyond the script and onto our screens. She quickly became a fan favorite when Heartstopper premiered back in 2022, and while we see that there’s more than meets the eye, teased with tidbits, and snippets of information for two seasons, in this third season, we’re treated to more dimension. Walser hasn’t shied away from these newly introduced facets of Tori’s character – she’s embraced them, using her screen time to shine brightly. And she really does. Heartstopper’s core may be Charlie and Nick, but what the show has always done well is highlight the relationships around them. Tori may be a supporting character, but her relationship with Charlie has comforted many, allowing Walser to shine in the spotlight.
However, being in the spotlight is something Walser is still getting used to, she explains to us. The popularity of the show has skyrocketed in the last two years, which comes with its own set of rules. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), no guidebook comes with this world she finds herself in. But, despite the fish-out-of-water feeling, she’s grateful. Though she may be overwhelmed at times, it warms her heart to see how many people connect with Heartstopper and Tori, a feeling that she undoubtedly treasures.
In conversation with Schön!, Jenny Walser discusses Tori Spring, Heartstopper season 3, what she likes to do during her off time, how she discovered her sense of style, what she hopes for the character in the future, a fan interaction to remember, and so much more.
top. Longchamp
earrings. Self-Portrait
opposite
denim jacket + jeans. Maje
boots. Malone Souliers
earrings. SO-LE Studio
bag. Self-Portrait
You’ve been playing Tori since 2022. What have you discovered about yourself and Tori in that time?
Oh gosh, I think spending more time with her this season has been nice. She’s a bit more 3D, so it was interesting working out how she smiles, how she laughs, how she shows a bit more emotion because while a lot was going on under the surface in seasons one or two it didn’t necessarily bubble over onto the surface. What have I learned? I’ve met some incredible people; I’ve worked with some inspirational people on the team, and I think we’ve all grown up. I thought I was fairly grown [laughs] but it turns out that doesn’t ever stop.
Like you said before, Tori’s a little more 3-dimensional this season. I love the spotlight she’s getting. Can you take me back to when you got the role, what were your initial thoughts of her and how did you develop her from the page to the screen?
I fell in love with her immediately when I read the webcomics and I read Solitaire before my audition as well. In the series, you could be forgiven for thinking that she’s just the comedy relief. She does bring an element of comedy which I really love about her. You know how witty and dry and whip-smart she is. I love how protective and supportive she is. She’s not just a support for Charlie; she’s a support for the audience which feels gratifying to know that people feel supported by her, and I guess by proxy, me. Anyone who has read Solitaire will be aware that a lot is going on for her as well under the surface. You know she is struggling with her own mental health problems and identity crisis. She’s trying to figure out her sexuality as well and these are all things that selfishly I would love to be able to explore more. Who knows what the future might hold? I think that was useful to know even though it’s not on the page, it was useful for me to know when I was working through the script and so on.
I spoke to Corinna (Brown) and I asked her what it had been like to watch the popularity of Heartstopper skyrocket in real time and she said it’s been incredible to see how much it just means to people. So, I’ll ask you, have you had any fan interactions that stand out in recent memory? Has anybody just come up to you on the street and said, “Oh my god I love the show, it resonates,” and so on?
They all stand out for different reasons because they’re all equally lovely but also quite bizarre. After all, it’s something that no one ever really prepares you for. I’d say in a way I’ve been fair, but I don’t know whether ‘lucky’ is the right word. I don’t necessarily come across as I do in the show and in season one or two I had longer hair and I didn’t tend to get recognized very much in the street so I could just go about my messy life without you know anybody watching me, seeing me [laughs].
I did a play, two years ago now, in Chichester and I remember a young girl came. They’d driven a couple of hours on her day off from school with her mum to come and see it and afterwards, she waited at the stage door and then had a photo. She was, bless her, in floods of tears and shaking. It can be hard to know what to do with that because you’re very flattered and you feel happy that they engaged with the show and the character so much. I know that it comes from a place of them being happy to meet you but it can be a little like, “Oh my gosh, I’ve made you cry.” But that was sweet, I mean that one stands out because it was the first one and the commitment to make the journey and to see a play, she sat through the whole play. If I can get more people into the theatre, then I’ve succeeded.
dress. MM6 Maison Margiela
boots. Jimmy Choo
opposite
leather jacket. Sandro
dress. Zimmermann
shoes. Malone Souliers
earrings. SO-LE Studio
That’s a win. You and Joe (Locke) have such incredible chemistry, can you talk a little bit about meeting him for the first time and building out Charlie and Tori’s relationship?
I met him for the first time when we had a read-through at the start of season one. We were in the main school hall, that’s where we always do our read-throughs. I think the main six or seven of them, they’d been rehearsing for about a week so already and I remember coming in, big room, everyone there, quite scary. I saw Alice (Oseman) and Patrick (Walters) immediately, so I had a moment with them. Then the rest of the gang were sat having their lunch on this little table, like a fold-out table like we were at school with their packed lunches. Joe’s got charisma coming out of his paws. He’s very magnetic and very funny. I immediately knew that we would get on and we have continued to get on [laughter] which is great and not always the case. I feel very lucky. We’ve both got a bit older now, and our relationship has only deepened.
Moving away from Heartstopper for just a second, what does an ideal day off look like for you when you’re not rehearsing?
I love just jumping around London. Not even necessarily with a particular destination in mind, I like wandering around. I love the South Bank and Covent Garden and all of that area, preferably not on a weekend or evening when it’s really busy because that can be a bit stressful. A walk on the Heath and Kenwood helps or just doing absolutely nothing and wasting away in my bed.
My friends and I will sometimes purposely go to a part of the city that we’ve never been to before and get lost and it’s a great way to discover new things about your city.
Yeah! You realise that this place links up to this place and you find a new little alleyway with a lovely little bakery or something it’s great.
You said in an interview with Teen Vogue that you’re still experimenting and finding your style, what does that look like for you?
Most of my wardrobe used to be high neck woolly, bright-coloured jumpers, I love block colours and bright primary colours. I’d say over recent years my wardrobe has gone more monochromatic because it’s much easier to mix pieces, but a lot of what I wear day to day is about comfort. I’d much rather be comfortable with a snifter of style than the other way around, obviously for an event that isn’t always possible. Beauty is pain. I sometimes like androgynous or masculine silhouettes and then other times I enjoy being feminine and getting dolled up. I think one thing that I’ve been trying to make sure of is that because I can tend to look quite young, and I’m at an age where I’m quite excited to be getting a little bit older and embracing my womanhood, I’m always keen to dress my age and not you look too junior. That’s important to me at the moment.
Do you pull inspiration from anything? Or is it just a matter of, “I see it, I like it, I’m just going to wear it?”
I follow a lot of fashion magazines and brands and editorial shoots and things like that on Instagram, and the Vogue app is always quite useful for checking out new collections. I try and keep abreast of the fashion trends and newer brands coming through. I quite like keeping up to date with the Fashion East shows because it’s cool when you’re an emerging artist of any sort, so for me being an actor I like the idea of working with emerging fashion designers as well, you can have some great collaborations when someone’s at the start of their journey.
Circling back to the show, if you could switch characters with one of your cast mates, who would it be and why?
I think Isaac’s a great one, there’s a link between Tori and Isaac, and I’ve been doing a few interviews with Tobie (Donovan) and he’s just hilarious. I just think he’s great. Maybe Isaac, but also Tao is a lot of fun. He looks like a lot of fun to play as well, you just get to goofball around.
full look. Moschino
shoes. Malone Souliers
opposite
coat. Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini
earrings. SO-LE Studio
Quickfire, what are your top five favourite movies, and can you talk a little about why they’re your faves?
Oh my gosh, wow, okay, that’s huge [laughs]. This is the thing, I’m really bad at stuff like this! I don’t always have a definitive list because it changes all the time. All of Xavier Dolan’s films, he’s a Québécois film director, writer, and actor, he does everything. He’s a huge inspiration to me. He has a film called Matthias & Maxime, which is just stunning visually. I’ve watched it 10 times during lockdown. It’s beautiful and I’d recommend it to anyone. He’s got another film called Mommy. Celine Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady. Paddington 2. It’s incredible. It’s just so, so good. Saint Maud by Rose Glass is one that I really loved well. Oh, I don’t know there are so many! I really should have a better list prepared, just in case.
But to be fair, it’s hard to choose four or five because there are genres and sub-genres, it’s an almost impossible question! Moving to Heartstopper, it deals with a lot of heavy subject matter. But it also illustrates healthy ways to deal with these issues. Why, in your opinion, is it so important to highlight these issues?
It’s incredibly present in a lot of young people’s lives, unfortunately. It’s something that is still taboo in some households and some people still really struggle to talk about it. I know I do for sure. It’s not spoken about with as much importance as it should be. As with everything that Heartstopper has done — the representation and feeling seen — is so valuable. You really can’t put a price on how important that will be to someone. We had a fan event the other day, which as fan meetings go was intense, but special. There were quite a few people who said the storylines surrounding eating disorders and OCD this season were important to them and it made me emotional. In a few of these people, you could see how much it meant. I think also playing a sibling of someone who’s going through a really tough time, it’s not just going to be important for people watching who can understand what Charlie’s going through, but I think it’s important for their families as well, to watch the representation of that, to understand that there’s no right way of dealing with these things, necessarily. Everyone’s trying their best.
For sure. There’s no handbook on how to deal with mental illness.
No, there certainly isn’t.
You have to take it in its stride. Touching on that, what advice would you give to Tori throughout this season? And what is your hope for her in the future?
We’re starting to see in this season that she is letting people in a bit. I think my advice to her would just be to look after yourself and not always after other people. Let them want you and let people love you. That’s something that I think a lot of people may struggle with, is feeling worthy of people’s care and attention. I just hope that she continues along that vein. Amazingly, she’s so there for Charlie, but I know that some fans find it frustrating to watch because she’s struggling too. But because he’s in such a state, he’s unable to see that. He doesn’t have the bandwidth to be there for her necessarily. I hope that she finds solace somewhere, potentially in Michael. That’s the best bet.
What is your biggest takeaway from the show itself throughout these three seasons?
I’ve made some incredible connections, both on the show and then off the show. There have been some amazing opportunities that have come my way because of it. And I’ve met some incredible, incredible people. So that has been just basic level, a huge thing. I think I’ve learned a lot from the younger generation. I think their openness and the way that they discuss certain matters, is inspiring.
I agree. I think at the end of the day, they are learning to have more empathy than we do. And my last question, what is a piece of advice you’ve been given that you still take to heart today?
It’s not really advice, but just show up and do your best. Literally, get out of bed, put one foot in front of the other do your best. When it comes to auditioning, and specifically, acting-wise, but also doesn’t have to encompass just acting – the idea around nerves. I still get really nervous and I think nerves can be a useful thing because it’s just adrenaline. The hard part is trying to reframe that nervous energy in your mind so it’s not in control of you. It’s technically not a real thing. It’s a concept. You can either let that concept control you, or you can convert it into excitement. I just try and think of that before I’m going into anything that’s daunting. Nerves are not a real thing. It’s just an idea.
leather jacket. Sandro
dress. Zimmermann
earrings. SO-LE Studio
Heartstopper is streaming now on Netflix.
photography. Liam Young
fashion. Koulla Sergi
talent. Jenny Walser
hair. Paul Donovan
make up. Hannah Davies using Victoria Beckham Beauty
creative production. Clara la Rosa
production + studio. JJ Media
photography assistant. Hannah Grinham
hair assistant. Valeria Aloisio
interview. Dana Reboe
