Yasmin Finney gets candid about gender dysphoria and finding confidence after being bullied
Yasmin Finney. (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images)
Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney has revealed that TikTok helped her to “escape” and find confidence while she was being bullied at school.
In an interview with Vogue, the 19-year-old trans actress talked about her life in beauty, from self-care to embracing her natural hair after relaxing it to “fit in” at her predominantly white school.
She told the magazine that she still experiences gender dysphoria, but knowing beauty is “not skin deep” has helped her, along with the confidence she gained on TikTok.
“As long as you have confidence in yourself, and as long as you look in the mirror and think, ‘I’m gorgeous’, that’s the only thing that matters,” she said.
“When I was at school getting bullied, my only way to escape was to go home and make a TikTok and look gorgeous in it. I created this whole fan base through being myself and being authentic.
“Through it, I found my power and was able to be comfortable in my own skin.”
Finney, whose first role was playing trans student Elle in Heartstopper, will soon join Doctor Who opposite Ncuti Gatwa.
She explained that caring for her hair and experimenting with makeup makes her feel “liberated and free”, and that she is starting to “embrace” her natural hair.
“I recently started to embrace my Afro. My natural hair is gorgeous now and it has grown so long,” she said.
“I was that kid who used to relax her hair back in the day, to fit in in this predominantly white space. I went to a really rough school, then I moved to a posh one where I would relax my hair to fit in with my group of girl friends.
“I damaged my hair so much I had to cut it all off and start fresh… Hair carries a lot of emotions and you can really express yourself through it.”
She did her own makeup for prom, styling a smokey eye for the first time, a look which boosted her confidence and meant “people started to look at me differently at school”.
She went on: “For me, makeup is a playground. It’s also an armour with which to navigate society. It makes me feel confident and liberated.”
Finney recently made headlines by becoming the first UK ambassador for YSL Beauty, announcing the news on Instagram with a photo of her silhouette.
Her soon-to-be co-star Gatwa commented on the post, calling her “unstoppable”.
Finney will appear in this year’s 60th anniversary Doctor Who specials, playing a character called Rose.
The actress told Vogue in a previous interview: “I remember growing up idolising [Doctor Who]… I’m happy to be the representation on a show that means a lot to so many.”
