Kit Sebastian Connor (born 8 March 2004) is an English actor. Connor gained recognition for starring as secondary school student Nick Nelson in the Netflix teen series Heartstopper (2022–2024) and its series finale film Heartstopper Forever (2026). He won the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance for the role, and received another nomination for the third season. He has been cast as Scott Summers in Marvel's upcoming X-Men movie in 2028.
Connor appeared in the films Get Santa (2014), Rocketman (2019), and Little Joe (2019), had a recurring role in the CBBC series Rocket's Island (2014–2015), and voice roles in the series His Dark Materials (2019–2022) and the film The Wild Robot (2024), a performance for which he garnered an Annie Award nomination. He subsequently starred as Romeo in a Broadway adaptation of Romeo & Juliet in 2024, a performance for which he won a Theatre World Award and nominations for a Drama League Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award, and in the film Warfare (2025), a performance for which he won a British Independent Film Award.
Early life Kit Sebastian Connor was born in the London Borough of Croydon on 8 March 2004. His parents, Richard and Caroline, are in advertising. He has an older sister and an older brother. He is from Purley and attended the Hayes Primary School in Kenley, as well as Whitgift School in South Croydon, where he completed his A Levels in drama, English literature, and history.
Career Connor made his onscreen debut at the age of eight with minor appearances in Chickens on Sky One, the television film An Adventure in Space and Time, and the soap opera Casualty. In 2014, he starred as Tom Anderson in the holiday comedy Get Santa, and as a recurring character Archie Beckles in the CBBC series Rocket's Island.
Connor had a recurring role playing young Petya Rostov in the miniseries War & Peace and as Bob Sheehan in the miniseries SS-GB. He made his stage debut in Welcome Home, Captain Fox! at Donmar Warehouse. He had roles in the 2018 films The Mercy, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Slaughterhouse Rulez, and the BBC One television film Grandpa's Great Escape. He starred as Alexander in the Old Vic Theatre production of Fanny & Alexander.
In 2019 Connor portrayed a teenaged Elton John in the musical film Rocketman, and played Joe Woodard in the drama Little Joe. In the same year, he began voicing the part of Pantalaimon in the BBC One and HBO fantasy series His Dark Materials. In April 2021, it was announced that Connor would star opposite Joe Locke in the Netflix series Heartstopper, an adaptation of the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman. He originally auditioned for the role of Charlie but ended up cast as the other lead, Nick Nelson.
In 2024 Connor was part of the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot, an adaptation of Peter Brown's novel of the same name. He made his Broadway debut playing Romeo opposite Rachel Zegler's Juliet in a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet directed by Sam Gold with music by Jack Antonoff.
In 2025, Connor appeared in Warfare, an A24 war film written and directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza. In April 2025 it was announced that Connor will star in a Heartstopper feature-length film that will serve as the series conclusion. He will also serve as an executive producer of the film. In May 2025 it was announced that Connor will star alongside Will Poulter and Manu Rios in the medieval zombie horror film Rapture. In October 2025 it was announced that Connor will star alongside Fred Hechinger and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai in Andrew Haigh's A Long Winter. Connor will also next star in an upcoming film adaptation of the novel A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey.
In March 2026, Connor led the cast of the mystery-horror film One of Us, which had its world premiere at the Manchester Film Festival. In April 2026, it was announced that Connor would voice the lead character in the new Netflix animated movie Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory alongside Taika Waititi as Wonka. Also in April 2026, Connor was formally confirmed as the lead in the Alex Garland adaptation of Elden Ring for A24, with an official release date of March 3, 2028. Production commenced that month. In August 2026, it was announced that Connor was cast to play Scott Summers / Cyclops in the upcoming untitled X-Men reboot directed by Jake Schreier and set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In September 2026, Connor was cast opposite Diana Silvers in the true crime drama Preppy, to be directed by Janicza Bravo
Connor was named a 2023 Screen International Star of Tomorrow. In 2024 Connor was named to Forbes' 30 under 30 Europe list in the Entertainment category. He was also highlighted in Variety's Young Hollywood Impact Report and on The Hollywood Reporter's 2024 Next Gen Talent list.
Personal life
In October 2022, Connor came out as bisexual in a Twitter post. Connor had objected to speculation about his sexuality in the past and had quit Twitter the previous month due to harassment and claims of queerbaiting after he was photographed holding hands with actress Maia Reficco. In his coming-out tweet, Connor said fans were "forcing an 18 year old to out himself" and "missed the point" of the Heartstopper television series. Many fans expressed support for Connor and criticised how people were treating him, as did Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman, co-stars Joe Locke, Sebastian Croft, Kizzy Edgell, and Olivia Colman, journalist Mark Harris, and Labour Party MP Nadia Whittome.
Connor has been named in the top 20 of the UK Pride Power Lists for 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes Get Santa Tom Anderson 2015 Mr. Holmes Boy 2017 The Mercy Simon Crowhurst 2018 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Eli Ramsey Ready Player One Reb kid Slaughterhouse Rulez Wootton 2019 Little Joe Joe Woodard Rocketman Young Elton John 2024 The Wild Robot Brightbill Voice role 2025 Warfare Tommy 2026 One of Us Youngest Heartstopper Forever Nick NelsonAlso executive producer A Long Winter Tommy2027Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory Charlie Paley Voice role; in production 2028 Elden Ring TBA Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 2013 An Adventure in Space and Time Charlie Television film; uncredited Casualty Barnaby Lee Episode: "Away in a Manger" Chickens Clem Episode: "Episode Six" 2014–2015 Rocket's Island Archie Beckles Recurring role (season 2), Main role (season 3); 18 episodes 2015 The Frankenstein Chronicles Joey Episode: "A World Without God" 2016 Grantchester Charlie Jones Episode: "Episode 5" War & Peace Young Petya Rostov Recurring role; 3 episodes 2017 SS-GB Bob Sheenan Miniseries; 3 episodes 2018 Grandpa's Great Escape Jack Television film 2019–2022 His Dark Materials Pantalaimon Voice role; 22 episodes 2022–2024 Heartstopper Nick Nelson Lead role; 24 episodes 2026 Heartstopper: Ending On a Hi Himself Documentary Special
Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref. 2016 Welcome Home, Captain Fox! Small Boy Donmar Warehouse, London 2018 Fanny & Alexander Alexander Ekdahl The Old Vic, London 2024–2025 Romeo + Juliet Romeo Montague Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway
Video games Year Title Role Developer 2017 Blackwood Crossing Finn (English voice) PaperSeven 2020 Dreams Foxy (English voice) Media Molecule 2022 A Plague Tale: Requiem Lucas (English voice) Asobo StudioXenoblade Chronicles 3Additional voicesMonolith Soft
Audio Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2022 Oliver Twist Noah Claypole Audiobook
Accolades Award Year Category Nominee / work Result Annie Awards2025Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature ProductionThe Wild Robot British Independent Film Awards2025Best Ensemble PerformanceWarfare Broadway.com Audience Awards2025Favorite Leading Actor in a Play Romeo + Juliet Favorite Onstage Pair Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male) Performance of the Year (Play) Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Lead PerformanceHeartstopper 2025 Dorian Awards 2022 Best TV PerformanceHeartstopper 2025Outstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway PlayRomeo + Juliet Drama League Awards2025Distinguished PerformanceRomeo + Juliet iHeartRadio Music Awards2025Favorite Broadway DebutRomeo + Juliet Las Vegas Film Critics Society2024Best Youth Performance – Male (under 21)The Wild Robot National Diversity Awards2025Celebrity of the Year AwardKit Connor and Joe Locke National Television Awards 2022 Rising StarHeartstopper Outer Critics Circle Awards2025Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway PlayRomeo + Juliet Queerty Awards 2023 Closet Door Bustdown Himself 2024 TV Performance Heartstopper Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2023 Leading Actor: Male Heartstopper Theatre World Award2025Outstanding Debut Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway ProductionRomeo + Juliet TV Choice Awards 2024 Best ActorHeartstopper Utah Film Critics Association Awards2025Best Ensemble Cast Warfare
See also List of British actors
References
External links