Yasmin Finney might be the most famous young performer with only a single screen credit to their name. A Black British transgender actress with a theatre background, Finney became an overnight icon in April 2022 when Netflix’s Heartstopper premiered, and immediately dominated social media conversation. A teen drama with actual teens as its leads, Heartstopper showcases Finney as Elle Argent, a secret-sharing, soul-bearing trans schoolgirl who juggles classroom politics with dating woes and existential crises. Such was the queer show’s popularity, it was renewed for a second and third season within two weeks of launching.
Finney, though, had been gathering momentum through an empowering online presence independently of the show. Joining TikTok in 2019, the Manchester-born performer would regularly go viral for videos documenting what it’s like to transition during your school years. Moreover, she’s about to become even more of a household name – specifically on Saturday evenings in the living room. In 2023, going from TikTok to tick-tock, Finney will play time-travelling Rose in Russell T Davies’ return to Doctor Who, a groundbreaking piece of casting that will rewrite whom – or Who – young people can look up to in mainstream entertainment.
Text Nick Chen
