Olivia Colman cried for real during emotional rehearsal in Heartstopper, says star Kit Connor

Olivia Colman broke down in tears during a rehearsal for Heartstopper, actor Kit Connor has said.

The Oscar winner stars in the recently released show, which is a coming-of-age story that follows a teen romance between Nick (Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke). Colman stars as Nick’s mother.

Since its release on 22 April, the show has earned near universal praise from fans for its depiction of coming out and LGBT+ romance.

During an appearance on This Morning, Connor said that Colman was so moved by one scene that the actor cried for real during rehearsals.

Spoilers for Heartstopper below!

The scene in question occurs in the final episode, during which Nick comes out to his mum as bisexual.

“We normally before every scene read it through about 50 per cent, you don’t go 100 per cent of the way,” he said. “We were reading it through and suddenly Olivia just started crying.”

The 18-year-old told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “At first, I was thinking, ‘God, she’s just really good, I need to step it up my game massively here,’ so I was really worried at that point.

“I think then other people told me afterwards that it was because it’s such a beautifully written scene and a crucial part in so many people’s lives. I think it really touched her.”

Speaking about what it was like to work with the Lost Daughter star, Connor joked: “I was just scared to be honest.”

He went on to describe Colman as “the most absolutely lovely person in the world”.

Heartstopper’s screenwriter Alice Oseman previously said that she was “shocked” that the show had managed to get Colman on board for the small role.

In the week following its release, many viewers spoke about the same scene on social media, calling it “relatable”.