Australian 1990s classic Heartbreak High is back on our screens in a Netflix reboot that’s got everyone raving. Twenty years on from the original series, there’s a new, diverse class of Gen-Zedders at Hartley High, accurately reflecting the lives of Aussie teenagers today.
Created by Hannah Carroll Chapman and led by a cast of uber-talented young actors, Heartbreak High has been praised for tackling all the gritty issues teens have to contend with — matters of prejudice and class, sexuality, drugs and alcohol. But what is most ground-breaking is how the show is representing Australia in a way never seen before, incorporating LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and First Nations characters.
It’s no wonder adoring Heartbreak High fans are already calling out for a second series.
Who's who in the Heartbreak High cast...
Ayesha Madon as Amerie
Ayesha Madon takes on the lead role of student Amerie, who finds herself public enemy number one when her "sex map" detailing every rumored or actual hook-up between her Year 11 classmates is discovered. Subsequently dumped by bestie and co-creator of the map, Harper, Amerie is befriended by school misfits Darren and Quinni, who try to rebuild her reputation.
Actress and singer Ayesha is stoked to be heading up the new generation, saying to Milky, "I just really loved how candid the scripts are and how it represented the youth of Australia, pretty bang on. I don’t think I’ve seen that on Australian television yet, so that excited me."
Where else have you seen Ayesha Madon?
Ayesha Madon’s still a relative newcomer to the small screen, with Heartbreak High being her second TV role. The Sydney-born star made her TV debut in 2021 and is credited as playing the parts of Cadet/Chav/Chav Dave/Wendy in the satirical sketch comedy series The Moth Effect.
Ayesha is also a talented singer and studied musical theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts. Her debut single Outside of the Party was released in 2020, and she recently dropped new track Goldfish, which is described as being ‘a mix of R&B and contemporary bedroom pop’.
James Majoos as Darren
James Majoos plays Darren, a queer and non-binary high-school student who befriends fellow social outcast, Amerie. The character of Darren was written with James in mind, who told Sydney Confidential: “It’s cool to play a young queer person who is so self-assured.”
On-screen, Darren steals the show with their witty barbs and eclectic fashion sense, but beyond the laughs, they have their own internal struggles to contend with. In a cool nod to the past, Darren’s dad Peter Rivers is played by former Neighbours star Scott Major, who’s reprising his role from the original 1994 series.
Where else have you seen James Majoos?
James found fame as a theatre actor and is best known for playing SaltyPringl in the Broadway play Fangirls. Their Heartbreak High co-stars Ayesha Madon (Amerie) and Chika Ikogwe (Josephine “Jojo” Oba) also starred in Yve Blake's iconic musical, but the trio first met while studying acting together at university.
Chloe Hayden as Quinni
Chloe Hayden stars as Darren’s lesbian and autistic best mate Quinni Gallagher-Jones. Her casting made history as it’s the first time a neurodivergent role has been played by a neurodivergent actor (Chloe was diagnosed with autism when she was 13 years old) on mainstream Australian TV.
In an interview with Sydney ConfidentialChloe expressed her delight at being represented, saying: “It was such a healing thing for me, to put such a large part of myself into Quinni. Growing up, I didn't exist in media, and it screwed me up. People will see Quinni is not just disabled, she's also quirky, funny, and intelligent — a whole human being.”
Where else have you seen Chloe Hayden?
Potentially, lots of places! Chloe is an Australian award-winning actress, with previous roles including playing Heidi in TV movie, Jeremy the Dud. She’s also a motivational speaker, influencer and disability rights activist and advocate. Her passion for creating change and celebrating diversity has been highlighted across her social media channels, with almost half a billion views.
Chloe is also a published author, her memoir and self-help book, "Different, Not Less", which was released in August 2022 is available globally and described as ‘A neurodivergent’s guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after.’
Will McDonald as Ca$h
Will McDonald features in Heartbreak High as Douglas “Ca$h” Piggott. Ca$h is a drug dealer and food delivery driver. On the outside, he comes across as brash, but internally he’s struggling with some pretty complex identity issues.
Heartbreak High is being praised for bringing a landmark diversity to viewers’ screens, and actor Will is here for it. In an interview with NME, he expressed: “I’m really excited to see how people respond to that these characters and these storylines that have probably never been touched on in Australian TV.”
Where else have you seen Will McDonald?
Soap fans are sure to remember Will as Home and Away’s Jett Palmer, a role which he played for seven years, between 2012 – 2019. The talented young actor has also had parts in TV series Young Rock and a handful of movies including Riot, Young Rock and Blaze.
Thomas Weatherall as Malakai
Thomas Weatherall stars as Hartley High’s new transfer student Malakai Mitchell. A bisexual Bundjalung basketball jock, Malakai is one of the first young Indigenous male characters to be portrayed on television.
Actor Thomas, himself a proud Kamilaroi man, jumped at the opportunity to be represented onscreen. "I graduated school not that long ago, and even then I think back to the kind of shows I watched... I don't know in how many — if any — there was a young Indigenous male going through the kind of stuff Malakai does in his storyline," Weatherall explained to Elle Australia.
Where else have you seen Thomas Weatherall?
Thomas made his professional acting debut back in 2018 with a role in the award-winning ABC series Deadlock. During his second year studying for a BA in Acting, Thomas joined the cast of Network Seven drama series RFDS, and was named as one the Casting Guild Australia’s Rising Stars for 2020.
His other credits include All My Friends Are Racist, and the stage play Follow Me Home. Thomas is the 2021 Balnaves Fellow at Belvoir Theatre and is currently under commission to write his debut play, Blue.
Asher Yasbincek as Harper
Asher plays Amerie’s former BFF Harper, a punk girl with a complicated back story and disruptive home life. The pair have a dramatic falling out at the start of the series, which plays out over the series, as truths about Harper’s traumatic past are revealed.
Actress Asher is proud to be part of the Heartbreak High cast, and also proud of the message the show is spreading. “What I want people to take away from it is to feel included and heard and seen,” she told Elle Australia.
Where else have you seen Asher Yasbincek?
Perth-born Asher is best known for her breakout role, playing rebellious teen Rose in the ABC award-winning series The Heights. She’s had a supporting lead in the feature film Rams, which opened the prestigious Australian film festival Cinefest Oz for 2020, and also starred in feature film How to Please a Woman opposite British actress Sally Phillips.
Asher’s next on-screen appearance will be in TV series Riptide, which is in pre-production and set for release next year.
Josh Heuston as Dusty
Dreamboat Dustin “Dusty” Reid is the kind of guy we all crushed on in high school. The popular kid, with deep-rooted hidden insecurities, Dusty is a bisexual musician who enjoys a romantic dalliance with feisty Harper.
Revealing what it was like to go back to school, model and actor Josh told Daily Mail Australia: “It was like a flashback. It was nice though, the energy was good. I wasn’t the popular kid in high school, like Dusty, I kind of hopped around groups.”
Where else have you seen Josh Heuston?
Josh has enjoyed a successful modelling career, working on campaigns for major brands such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Fendi and Gucci. But he’s not just a pretty face — he’s got a double major, graduating from Macquarine University with a Bachelor of Science. in biomolecular science and a Bachelor of Commerce.
His acting credits include the Network 10 teen thriller series, Dive Club, which was filmed on the Great Barrier Reef, and a small non-speaking role in Thor: Love and Thunder. Heartbreak High is Josh’s first big TV role.
Who else stars in Heartbreak High?
In addition to the above stars, Heartbreak High will also feature Gemma Chau-Tran as Sasha So, Bryn Chapman-Parish as Spencer “Spider” White, Brodie Townsend as Anthony “Ant” Vaughn, Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy Beckett, Chika Ikogwe as Josephine “Jojo” Obah and Rachel Hourse as Woodsy.
Heartbreak High is available on Netflix, where you can watch all eight episodes of the series.
