Sebastian Croft, the celebrated actor from Netflix's Heartstopper, has sent his fanbase into a frenzy by officially launching his music career, candidly admitting that a painful breakup inspired his songwriting journey.
From Screen to Studio
The 23-year-old star, previously best known for portraying the young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones and as Archie in the hit series Heartstopper, has recently released his debut single, Tokyo. This musical pivot comes after establishing a successful acting career that provided him the platform to explore his passion for music.
Croft opened up about the deeply personal inspiration behind his new creative direction, stating: 'I had a break up two and a half years ago and the only thing I could do was write songs.' He elaborated on this period of heartbreak, revealing, 'I had my heart broken and I wrote loads of songs... I wasn't even thinking about doing anything other than existing.'
A Dream Realised
Reflecting on the rapid development from private catharsis to public release, he expressed his astonishment: 'Cut forward two and a half years I'm almost a week away from having my first song come out. Even saying it sounds crazy and it's low-key terrifying because it's something I've never shared before.'
The actor, who boasts an impressive 1.8 million followers on Instagram, described the vulnerability of this new venture compared to acting. 'It feels really scary. I think especially coming from acting where you're kind of a, hiding behind something, but b, you have somewhat of a reputation or a career or something it feels super vulnerable and terrifying but at the same time I'm so excited and I've just loved the process.'
His excitement was palpable as he recounted the first time he shared his music publicly. 'The first little meet-up that we did and playing the songs in front of people who aren't my friends or family was the best feeling in the world and I'm just so excited.'
Fan Adoration and Future Plans
Croft, who has secured a huge fanbase partly through speaking openly about LGBTQ+ rights and representation, arranged a small gathering for supporters to hear his music. Posting a video to Instagram where he played guitar, he shared his gratitude: 'I can’t believe a dream I had when I was 10 has come true. It’s so bittersweet that this moment is here, born from heartbreak but blooming into something wonderful. Thank you to everyone who came and spent their Sunday morning with me it means the whole wide world I’m never going to forget it.'
Delighted fans immediately flocked to the comments to express their support. One admirer wrote: 'Wonderful wonderful wonderful boy. I’m so proud of you and being your fan is truly a gift.' Another simply stated: 'It was nice meeting you, had a good time listening to your songs!' while others shared their excitement for the new release with comments like 'Everybody UP!! first verse of Tokyo just dropped.'
Looking ahead, Sebastian Croft is now set to perform for fans at The Lower Third in London on December 16, marking a significant milestone in his burgeoning music career.
This new artistic chapter follows his role as Archie in Heartstopper, where his character secretly harboured feelings for his friend Amelia, played by Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran. He also secured a voice role in the action role-playing Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy, where his voice is one of the options players can select for their custom character.
However, his involvement in the game drew some criticism after author JK Rowling faced backlash for her comments about the transgender community. Croft addressed this directly, stating on social media that he had been cast 'over three years ago' and that it was 'long before I was aware of JK Rowling's views.' He firmly added, 'I believe whole heartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men.'
