"I'm not gay, so . . . it's just for a dare!"
― James, to Charlie Spring
James McEwan, portrayed by Bradley Riches, is a minor character in Heartstopper.
Appearance
James has white skin and dark, curly hair cut short. He has a well-defined face with a button nose, and a slender build.
Personality
Although his role is minor, James overall seems sweet yet anxious. When dared to kiss Charlie at Tara's birthday gathering, James blushes and is open to it. As he scooted closer to Charlie, he chuckles nervously and clarified that he wasn't gay. When Charlie said he didn't want to go through the dare, James awkwardly retreated, stuttering that it was fine by him, showing he respected Charlie's boundaries.
Sexuality
Graphic Novel
James' limited interaction with Charlie seemed to suggest he had a crush on his classmate, or didn't know how to properly express his sexuality. Despite claiming he wasn't gay, James was especially smiley when dared to kiss Charlie, and seemed let down when Charlie rejected him.
Netflix
Unlike his graphic novel counterpart, this version of James is an only openly gay kid. He revealed having crushes on both Charlie and Isaac. He also had his first kiss with Isaac.
Trivia
- In the television series, James was a minor character in the first season before being promoted to a supporting character in the second season.
- James, like his actor Bradley Riches, is autistic.[1][dead link]