Australian teen drama Heartbreak High was a television series that first aired in 1994 to wide acclaim. Now the 2022 Netflix reboot has been dominating streaming charts around the world, with much of the buzz centered around the diverse cast of Australian actors.
Heartbreak High may not be standard viewing for many Eureka Street readers. But watching was a moving and overwhelming experience for me. I only wish when I was growing up there had been examples of autistic characters on television like Heartbreak High’s Quinni (Chloé Hayden), played by actors who are themselves autistic. Chloé Hayden is one of the first autistic actors to play an autistic character in a major TV series. I feel angry that I didn’t see this sort of representation when I was younger. If I had, I may have realised I was autistic before I was in my 20s, which may have made my journey easier. But I also feel hopeful because I can see that the world is changing for the better if the next generation can grow up seeing characters like Quinni who actually represent life as it is familiar to them.
I sat down and binged all eight episodes of Heartbreak High in one night, which will give some indication of just how exceptional I found this series. The lives of the characters are messy and difficult and at times painful but also beautiful and marked by real growth, which perfectly encapsulates the tumultuous time in our lives that is secondary school. The show doesn’t try to coddle or belittle its audience with false fantasies of what high school could or should be.
Seeing Quinni able to be herself and still be loved and accepted by others was a powerful thing. Watching her navigate high school took me back to my own experiences struggling to cope at school before my diagnosis of autism. As I watched Quinni, I felt many memories click into place. She helped me to better understand that in my own way I had been trying to ‘stim’ without even understanding why or what that meant (‘stimming’ is self-stimulating behaviour often involving repetitive movements or sounds such as rocking or flapping hands. These behaviours are coping mechanisms that can help to decrease sensory overload, reduce anxiety or express frustration.)
I’ve followed Chloé Hayden on Instagram and Facebook for a while now, and I love seeing her get excited about