Some actors need multiple seasons to become audience favorites. Darragh Hand only needed a handful of episodes.
The Irish actor joined Heartstopper as Michael Holden, the charming and endlessly supportive boyfriend of Tori Spring (Jenny Walser), Charlie Spring’s older sister. While Michael plays a much larger role in Alice Oseman’s novel Solitaire, his brief appearance in Netflix’s beloved coming-of-age series was enough to leave fans asking one important question: who exactly is Darragh Hand?
More importantly, why aren’t we talking about him more?
The Scene Stealer of the Heartstopper Universe
For fans unfamiliar with Alice Oseman’s literary universe, Solitaire and Heartstopper exist side by side. In fact, Nick and Charlie first appeared in Solitaire before eventually receiving their own graphic novel series and Netflix adaptation.
Michael Holden is pansexual while Tori identifies as asexual, making their relationship another thoughtful example of the show’s commitment to representing the many different ways queer people experience love and connection.
And while Michael may be one of the quieter characters in Heartstopper, Darragh Hand himself is proving to be much harder to ignore.
Born on August 25, 1998, Hand is an Irish actor of Irish and Jamaican descent who trained professionally at the London College of Music, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2021.
He’s also quietly building one very impressive résumé.
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From Award Winning Actor to Internet Crush
Before arriving in the halls of Truham and Higgs, Hand earned critical acclaim for his performance in For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, winning the Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Play and earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2023.
This year, he’s starring as Chevalier Danceny in the West End revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses while also appearing in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.
Translation? He’s booked, busy, and incredibly talented.
Cute on Screen, Hot Off Screen
Of course, we’d be doing our readers a disservice if we didn’t mention the other reason people have become enamored with Darragh Hand.
His Instagram exists.
The soft spoken Michael Holden audiences meet on screen quickly transforms into someone considerably more confident off screen. Gym selfies showcasing biceps, broad shoulders, and abs have left more than a few Heartstopper fans pleasantly surprised.
One fan perfectly summed up the internet’s collective reaction by writing, “I feel like we don’t talk enough about how hot Michael from Heartstopper is.”
Another added, “Not only hot, but really GORGEOUS. I’m enchanted.”
Our personal favorite? “He’s effortlessly attractive, and that’s the dangerous part.”
Frankly, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Darragh Hand may not have had the biggest role in Heartstopper, but between his talent, charm, and increasingly devoted fanbase, we’re willing to bet this won’t be the last time we see his name making headlines.
It’s about time we started paying attention.