How To Date Billy Walsh star Sebastian Croft would ‘love’ to star in a queer rom-com
How To Date Billy Walsh and Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft is keen for a role in a queer rom com. (Getty)
How To Date Billy Walsh and Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft has told PinkNews he would “love” to star in a queer rom-com in the near future.
Croft, 22, stars in Prime Video’s super sweet and silly upcoming rom-com How To Date Billy Walsh, alongside Bridgerton favourite Charithra Chandran.
In the film – which arrives on Prime Video this Friday (5 April) – Croft plays Archie, a “quirky and larger-than-life” teenager with a life-long crush on his best friend, Amelia (Chandran).
However, when new kid on the block, the chiselled and charming Billy Walsh (Cobra Kai star Tanner Buchanan) rides into town on a motorbike (of course), Archie has to fight to keep his friend from falling for Billy – and falling out with him in the process. Cue a love triangle saga for the ages.
Though How To Date Billy Walsh explores a heterosexual love story, Croft says he would like to dabble in a queer big screen romance in the future, too.
Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, Croft revealed that he would “100 per cent” be interested in starring in a queer romance film à la Red, White & Royal Blue.
“I would love that, that would be great,” the actor says, adding that he already has some ideas for stories he’d like to turn into films.
“There’s two books that I love that – one has been adapted, and the other hasn’t been adapted for a long time – I’d love to do.
“It’s exciting to see so many cool projects that have queer stories in the middle of them. I’m definitely excited about [it].
“It’s just nice to jump between a variety of characters and a variety of stories.”
While Croft didn’t divulge which queer stories he’s keen to star in, he’s previously revealed his desire to star as “Timothée Chalamet’s love interest in anything”.
“I was named after Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited and obviously, that’s, like, an iconic gay story, and it’s set in Oxford, so that would probably be my dream part to play,” he told AnOther magazine last year.
Sebastian Croft is best known for his role as Ben Hope, the bullying and abusive ex-boyfriend of Charlie Spring in Alice Oseman’s queer teen Netflix drama, Heartstopper.
Ben isn’t set to return for Heartstopper season three, but Croft is pleased to be playing a character who is the polar “opposite” in How To Date Billy Walsh.
Plus, Croft’s transition to a romantic leading role marks another major step in his career.
“A film like [How To Date Billy Walsh] really doesn’t have to be diverse in any way,” reflects Croft, who has previously described himself as queer.
“It’s a very heteronormative love story, and for Prime Video to get a title like this and, even when the story doesn’t require it, to still have such a diverse cast, was just really cool and quite refreshing – almost more so than the stories where that is the subject matter.”
He adds that he and co-star Charithra Chandran “have spoken about it a lot” and “it’s a really nice shift to see” in the film industry.
“It was just fun and we had a lot of fun making it. Because it was a comfortable environment on set, and everyone felt comfortable being themselves,” he says.
“If you’re trying to make a relatable film for what it’s like to grow up as a teenager today, it has to be diverse, because the world is diverse. It was exciting to see them do that with this.”
How To Date Billy Walsh is streaming on Prime Video from 5 April.
