Heartstopper’s Corinna Brown On What She’s Learned About “Having It All Figured Out”
Heartstopper star CORINNA BROWN’s career took a skyward turn when she landed the role of Tara in the coming-of-age Netflix hit. As season three is released, Brown writes about embracing change, finding new beginnings and letting go of the pressure to have everything wrapped up
Turning 25, I like to think of myself as five years old in adult years. And my biggest takeaway from half a decade of adulthood is this: be open and accepting of the fact you’re still figuring it all out and keep learning. Let go of the pressure to have everything wrapped up. It sounds like a cliché, but I think it rings true… Life’s a journey. It’ll have ups and downs, swings, roundabouts, beginnings, endings and more beginnings.
The announcement of my role in Heartstopper was a seriously life-changing moment – and a beginning I had never imagined. Up until that point, I had been a professional actor, but not on this level. The lens and reach of a Netflix show with a pre-existing fandom was something I couldn’t have fathomed. It was overwhelming, but with time – and my new Heartstopper colleagues (who quickly became chosen family) – I learned to embrace this new, exciting platform, and the biggest springboard of opportunity I’ve ever had to bounce off.
There’s so much to learn in your twenties: how to live independently, how to navigate relationships, how to manage work along with a social life, and all while trying to get a good night’s sleep. How to love, and how to cope with loss.
“There are so many dreams to chase, many that I haven’t even imagined yet… Personally, I’ve become much more confident since learning how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations
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But I think the most important lessons are the ones you start to discover about yourself. Learning how to love yourself and to be kind to yourself, learning your boundaries, learning what makes you tick, learning what makes your heart sing. Unlearning behaviors and thought patterns that don’t serve you. Learning that relationships are complicated, and that even those who we hold in the highest esteem make mistakes and need compassion and understanding. (This might be about other people, but I promise that it benefits you, too.) Discovering that your knowledge is power. Learning how to let go of inhibitions. Embracing the things that make you truly unique and accepting the parts of you that you think of as flaws.
Playing Tara for three years has taught me to trust my instincts. She’s a character who I’ve had the privilege to discover and then revisit, finding her boundaries, her morals, and seeing that, despite how she changes through each season’s story lines, the fundamentals of her character remain the same. Translating that into my own life, I’ve learned to trust the fundamentals of myself.
And I keep reminding myself: only five years old in adult years! There are so many dreams to chase, many that I haven’t even imagined yet. So many opportunities that haven’t presented themselves yet. All the (seemingly) daunting responsibilities that you gain growing up can make you feel stuck. But I’ve realized it’s never too late to unstick yourself. Try something new, change career path, make a big – or a small – move. Personally, I’ve become much more confident since learning how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
There have been times over the past five years that this huge new platform has daunted me. I’m now a person that people look to for representation and inspiration, and with that comes a sense of responsibility – one you’re not taught about at drama school. I’ve had many a moment of imposter syndrome. But I feel that carrying on and doing it anyway, being unapologetically myself, is what’s most inspiring. And giving myself permission to not have it all figured out.
Season 3 of ‘Heartstopper’ is currently available on Netflix
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