Netflix’s queer drama Heartstopper was a starting point for many actors. And among others, William Gao definitely garnered a lot of fans for his outstanding portrayal of Charlie’s protective best mate “Tao Xu.”
Get to know him better as this Bio proceeds.
William Gao On Heartstopper
William played “Tao Xu,” one of Charlie’s best friends on Heartstopper. The other two included Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Isaac (Tobie Donovan).
This was the first time William ever appeared on the small screen. But being there definitely wasn’t easy. According to the actor, he had to go through four rounds of an open audition before he finally landed the role.
Joining William for the inaugural season were its casts — 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).
Also, there were two new characters, Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan) and Imogen Heaney (Rhea Norwood), added to the cast who are mentioned in the graphic novels.
For those who haven’t seen Heartstopper, it revolves around Charlie and his sports-loving crush Nick who discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love.
William Gao Net Worth
William Gao garnered a net worth of under $100 thousand by 2022.
Well, given William had just started in the industry then, he had yet to make his fortune. But with that being said, William did do a few theaters before starring in Heartstopper. Some of them include — Simon Callow’s Shakespeare 400 at 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 National Youth Theatre (as a model).
Besides acting, William is also blessed with a talent for music. He was a member of The Wasia Project and played the keys for the band. Some of their popular Eps and singles available on Spotify were Why Don’t U Love Me, U Deserve, Burning Eyes R Calling, and Misfit Biscuit.
As for his music inspirations, William is a fan of the Beatles, and Guys and Dolls.
Is William Gao Gay?
Though William Gao might appear on Heartstopper — a drama to inspire a whole new generation of LGBTQ+ youth — there was zero evidence that he was gay IRL. Moreover, even William’s character wasn’t gay on the show.
The show mainly focused on the love story between the openly gay overthinker Charlie and rugby player Nick. It featured the elements of bullying and of sexual assault in a minuscule part of a really happy story.
Overall, the show was a good way to introduce kids to the concept of being queer. “It’s not like there’s a video that you can put on and show kids to teach them how to be towards queer people, or if they are queer, to figure it out. There are not many kid-friendly ways to do that so I think it’s helpful,” actress Kizzy Edgell explained.
William Gao Partner
William Gao appeared to be single as of 2022. His on-screen love interest, Yasmin Finney (Elle) and he were not dating IRL in case you’re curious. However, the two do share quite a few amazing pics together. But then again it was all just for promotional purposes.
But with this being said, many actors prefer to keep their relationships away from the light. So, William could have a secret partner for all we know.
How Old Is William Gao?
William Gao was born in 2003. So that made him 19 years of age when Heartstopper premiered in 2022.
Most of the Heartstopper cast were under 20 then.
William Gao Parents
William Gao didn’t talk much about his parents. So, they, including their names are a mystery to us.
However, we do have information about his sibling Olivia Hardy who was also a fellow member of The Wasia Project. Olivia @theolivebrancch was the lead singer of the band. She often starred on William’s IG — performing, or recording their songs.
Also, William had a few pics of them from their childhood on his IG.
What Is William Gao Ethnicity?
William Gao flaunts British-East Asian ethnicity.
He was perhaps the only recurring cast coming from the Asian background on Heartstopper.
William Gao Height
William Gao stands tall at a height of 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm).
His body measurements are — Shirt: 31, Chest: 34, Waist: 28, Hips: 35, and Shoe: 11 UK.
Mentioning his district features, William has brown eyes, dark hair, a chiseled body and jawline, and a triangular face.
Related FAQs
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When Is William Gao Birthday?
William receives his birthday wishes on February 20, making him of the Pisces zodiac.
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Where Is William Gao From?
William hails 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.
Seems like the actor was quite popular even before he stepped into the movie industry. But then again, given he was the keyboardist of The Wasia Project, it only makes sense.
Most of William’s IG posts then flaunted his musical career and modeling pics.
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