Sumith Prasad
In the first two seasons of Netflix’s romantic series ‘Heartstopper,’ Olivia Colman plays Sarah Nelson, the mother of the co-protagonist Nick Nelson. When the young boy realizes that he is bisexual, Sarah extends his support to him, especially when his elder brother fails to accept his sexuality. The graceful woman is a significant part of the teenager’s life, which makes her absence in the third installment all the more concerning. Colman’s character does not appear in any of the eight episodes of the season, even while exploring one of the toughest periods of Nick’s life emotionally! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Olivia Colman Left Heartstopper Due to Scheduling Conflicts
Olivia Colman had to leave ‘Heartstopper’ because of her busy schedule. The actress was eager to be part of the third season of the teen drama but eventually failed to keep her dates for the project. “I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that. I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of,” the actress told Forbes. Alice Oseman, who created the show based on her graphic novel series of the same name, eventually revealed that the creative team behind the coming-of-age drama “tried absolutely everything” to involve the Academy Award winner in the latest season but had to accept “it wasn’t meant to be.”
Even though Colman left the series ahead of the third season, we might haven’t seen the last of her in the teen drama. The actress is absolutely open to returning to the project if the fourth season gets greenlit, calling the show “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.” “I’ll have a word. As long as it’s booked in advance, maybe I’ll be able to do it, yeah!” she added in the same Forbes interview about appearing in the series again. Like the actress, Oseman hasn’t completely bid adieu to Sarah. The screenwriter clarified that she would love to welcome Colman to her romantic drama again if the fourth installment materializes.
Colman had a busy 2023 due to her commitment to the upcoming adventure film ‘Paddington in Peru,’ the third installment in the ‘Paddington’ film series in which she will appear as The Reverend Mother. The movie’s filming progressed in the United Kingdom, Colombia, and Peru, while the teen drama’s third season was in the works at Netflix.
Sarah Nelson Remains a Part of Nick’s Life
Even though Olivia Colman does not appear in ‘Heartstopper’ season 3, Sarah hasn’t gone anywhere from Nick’s life. She remains present in his household, although she does not appear before the cameras. Even when the actress exited the series, Alice Oseman decided against recasting the character and dealt with the former’s exit by eliminating Sarah’s screentime. To place the character in the narrative, despite her absence, repeated mentions are made about her in the show’s latest installment. One of the portions from the source material Oseman couldn’t discard was the part in which Nick talks to his mother about the eating disorder of his boyfriend, Charlie Spring.
Due to the significance of the part in the entire narrative, Oseman had to include the same in the television adaptation despite the absence of Colman to play Sarah. The creator dealt with the predicament by creating Aunt Diane, with whom Nick shares his emotional struggles. To avoid making Sarah’s absence too obvious, the screenwriter conceived the young boy’s Menorca tour with his aunt. This particular plot development not only establishes the new character but also places the co-protagonist away from Sarah to accommodate her absence. The particular portion in the graphic novel series then unfolds in the show as a conversation between Nick and Diane.
Since Sarah hasn’t gone anywhere from Nick, we may see her beside her son in the potential fourth season of the teen drama. Oseman has already revealed that the possible next installment will be an adaptation of the final part of her source graphic novel series. When Nick and Charlie’s relationship arc culminates, we can expect Sarah to witness the same.
Read More: Heartstopper: Are Joe Locke and Kit Connor Together?
