Small spoilers ahead for Heartstopper season 2.
William Gao misses his long hair as Tao Xu in Heartstopper. There are perks to having the longer hairstyle — “I do miss doing this,” Gao tells Teen Vogue on the set of Heartstopper season 2, as he tosses his imaginary locks back in midair — though he’s worn a wig to achieve that look this season. Yes, we said goodbye to Tao’s season 1 hair (which a number of fans have speculated was Tao’s show of support for Elle during her transition) and cut deeper into his world.
Gao had this exciting thought in the back of his mind during season 1 that if the show came back for another go, they would be able to further explore Tao and Elle’s budding romance. It came to fruition, of course, with writer Alice Oseman’s “heartstopping script,” that sees a “more rounded and more vulnerable” Tao.
“He’s got all of his barriers up. He’s like this kind of frantic dog that’s defensive. And he’s all over the place. But in season 2, you kind of see why that is,” Gao says. “I think it speaks about loss and grief. It’s hinted at during the show about how grief has affected him in his family life, and how it’s influenced his actions. And him realizing that and his awareness of that is a beautiful thing.”
“When we’re growing up, I think people have those lightbulb moments where we kind of connect the way we’re acting and the way we are to things that happen in childhood,” Gao says. In a tender moment with Nick in the season finale, Tao says “I think when something really bad happens it can affect you for a really long time” — his lightbulb moment. It’s only been a few years for Tao since his father passed away, and though he later brushes it off, that kind of loss seeds itself in you.
At one point in our interview, Gao almost chokes on a piece of New Zealand gingerbread-flavored chocolate. “It’s really coated my throat,” he says. He’s offered water, but continues without it, unfazed. Gao’s co-star Joe Locke, who plays Charlie, weighs in later via Zoom: “Will is my favorite person in the world because he's very much a hypochondriac, in the best way,” Locke says. “He thinks he's going to die with everything and anything, so do not worry.” There’s no ill will towards New Zealand though — Gao loves their wine, which he gets at his local store.
Gao reflects on the new avenues he’s found since the release of Heartstopper season 1. Wasia Project, the musical duo he formed with his sister Olivia Gao, released their EP how can i pretend? in May 2022, mere weeks following Heartstopper’s debut on Netflix, and “by coincidence, something hit,” leading to their distribution deal with AWAL, a subsidiary of Sony Music. “Everyone’s just been with open ears and open hearts with the other sides of my life, and music’s such a big part of my life,” Gao says. One song from that EP, “ur so pretty,” closes out Heartstopper season 2.
We’re already counting down the days until season 3 of Heartstopper, excitedly awaiting where Gao takes us next and what layers of Tao we’ll get to see.