Netflix’s gay drama Heartstopper was a jumping off point for many actors. Among others, William Gao certainly won a lot of fans for his stellar performance as Charlie’s protective best friend “Tao Xu.”
Let’s learn more about him through this Biography section.
William Gao on Heartstopper
William plays “Tao Xu”, one of Charlie’s best friends in Heartstopper. The other two include Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Isaac (Tobie Donovan).
This is William’s first time on the small screen. But getting there certainly wasn’t easy. According to the actor, he had to go through four rounds of public auditions before finally landing the role.
Joining William in the first season are the cast — Joe Locke (Charlie Spring), Kit Connor (Nick Nelson), Yasmin Finney (Elle Argent), Sebastian Croft (Ben Hope), Corinna Brown (Tara Jones), Kizzy Edgell (Darcy Olsson), Jenny Walser (Tori Spring), Cormac Hyde-Corrin (Harry Greene), Sebastian Croft (Ben Hope), Echo (Nellie), Fisayo Akinade (Mr. Ajayi) and Chetna Pandya (Coach Singh).
Additionally, two new characters, Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan) and Imogen Heaney (Rhea Norwood), are added to the cast mentioned in the graphic novel.
For those who haven’t seen Heartstopper, the film revolves around Charlie and his sports lover Nick, who discover their unlikely friendship can go further as they navigate through school and young love.
William Gao Net Worth
William Gao has a net worth of less than $100k as of 2022.
Well, since William was just starting out at the time, he wasn’t making much money yet. But with that said, William did a few theater credits before landing the lead role in Heartstopper. Some of them include — Simon Callow’s Shakespeare 400 at the Royal Festival Hall (as Puck), Lynne Hockney’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Glyndebourne Opera (as Cobweb), and Paul Roseby’s NYT/London Fashion Week at the National Youth Theatre (as a model).
Besides acting, William is also gifted with musical talent. He is a member of The Wasia Project and plays the keyboard for the band. Some of their popular Eps and singles available on Spotify are Why Don’t U Love Me, U Deserve, Burning Eyes R Calling and Misfit Biscuit.
Speaking of musical inspiration, William is a fan of the Beatles and Guys and Dolls.
Is William Gao gay?
While William Gao may appear in Heartstopper—a film that inspired a whole new generation of LGBTQ+ teens—there’s no evidence that he’s gay in real life. What’s more, even William’s character in the film isn’t gay.
The show focuses primarily on the love story between Charlie, an openly gay man, and Nick, a football player. It features bullying and sexual assault in a small part of what is otherwise a really fun story.
Overall, the show is a great way to introduce kids to the concept of being queer. “It’s not like a video that you can put on and show kids to teach them how to treat queer people, or if they’re queer, to figure that out. There aren’t a lot of kid-friendly ways to do that, so I think it’s helpful,” actress Kizzy Edgell explains.
William Gao Partner
William Gao appears to be single as of 2022. His on-screen love interest, Yasmin Finney (Elle), and he aren’t dating in real life, in case you were wondering. However, the two have shared quite a few gorgeous photos together. But then again, it’s all for publicity purposes.
But with that being said, many actors prefer to keep their relationships out of the light. So William could have a secret partner that we know about.
How old is William Gao?
William Gao was born in 2003. That means he will be 19 when Heartstopper comes out in 2022.
Most of the cast of Heartstopper at that time were under 20 years old.
William Gao’s parents
William Gao doesn’t talk much about his parents. So they, including their names, are a mystery to us.
However, we do have information about his sister Olivia Hardy, who is also a member of The Wasia Project. Olivia @theolivebrancch is the lead singer of the band. She often appears on William’s IG — performing or recording their songs.
Additionally, William also has a few of their childhood photos on his IG.
What is William Gao’s ethnicity?
William Gao boasts of Anglo-East Asian blood.
He is perhaps the only actor of Asian descent in Heartstopper.
William Gao’s Height
William Gao is 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm) tall.
His body measurements are — Shirt: 31, Chest: 34, Waist: 28, Hips: 35 and Shoes: 11 UK.
Speaking of his county’s features, William has brown eyes, black hair, a strong body and jawline, and a triangular face.
Related FAQs
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What is William Gao’s birthday?
William received birthday wishes on February 20, which makes him a Pisces.
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Where is William Gao from?
William is from London, England.
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Is William Gao on Instagram?
Yes, as of April 2022 find him on Instagram @will.gao_ with 127k followers.
It seems like this actor was quite famous even before he entered the film industry. But then again, since he is the keyboardist of The Wasia Project, it makes perfect sense.
Most of William’s IG posts show off his music career and modeling photos.