Who is William Gao?
William is an English actor and musician, perhaps best known to the world as Tao Xu in the TV series “Heartstopper” (2022), and for being a member of the musical duo Wasia Project he started with his sister Olivia Hardy.
William Gao Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education
William Gao was born on 20 February 200,3 in South Croydon, England, the son of an English father, and Chinese on his mother’s side. She came to England in her 20s, and soon after met William’s father.
He went to Trinity School and completed A-Levels in Chinese, music and drama in 2022.
He was inclined towards performing arts from an early age, and at just 11 years old, William started taking piano lessons, and while in school joined the Trinity Boys Choir.
As his aspirations increased and he was becoming more interested in other performing arts, at 19 years old he joined the National Youth Theatre.
Acting Career Beginnings
William made his theater debut in 2016, as part of the “Shakespeare at 400”, a celebration of the playwright’s death. The entire anniversary was held at Royal Festival Hall, and William played Puck in the play “Midsummer Night’s Dream”. After a successful portrayal, William received great praise for his efforts and soon booked the new role as Cobweb in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, this time performed at Glyndebourne.
Later Career and Television Success
He made his on-screen debut in the short film “Crescendo”, in which he was the main and only star, while the film was written and directed by Jasper Kirkpatrick-Navarre.
The following year, William secured his best role to date as Tao Xu in the multiple award-winning TV coming-of-age romantic-drama series “Heartstopper”. Created by Alice Oseman, the series is adapted from the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by the same author. It follows gay schoolboy Charlie Spring, as he falls in love with his classmate Nick Nelson. Furthermore, the series follows the lives of Tao, Tara, Darcy, and Elle.
Other than William, the series starred Joe Locke, Kit Connor, and Yasmin Finney, among others, and premiered on 22 April 2022 to rave reviews. William and the rest were praised for their performances, and he was awarded with Gay Times Honours in the category for On Screen Trailblazer, and was nominated for the Children’s and Family Emmy Award in the category for Outstanding Supporting Performance.
Thanks to the popularity of the first season, the series has been renewed for second and third seasons, however, there are no official premiere dates yet.
To speak further of his accomplishments as an actor, William is set to appear as Edward in the upcoming thriller film “Sunrise”, directed by Andrew Baird, and starring Guy Pearce, Alex Pettyfer and Olwen Fouere, about a man who is a creature of the night as he roams the land, and must come to terms with the loss of his family, taken away from him by a man named Reynolds. The film is currently in production, without a premiere date set yet.
Moreover, he has returned to the theatre with the role of Xander in the play “The Trails”, performed at Donmar Warehouse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbDDrb2Kgem/
Music Career
In addition to acting, William has explored his musical talents. Being a piano player since he was 11 years old, together with his sister, William formed the indie pop duo Wasia Project. So far the siblings have released one EP entitled “Petals on the Moon”. They run a YouTube channel with around 15,000 subscribers, and the official music video for the song “Petals on the Moon” has more than 30,000 views already, as it was released just at the end of February 2023.
As of March 2023, they’re currently touring the UK to promote their release, and in July will perform at the Sunrise Arena at Latitude Fest, alongside such greats as Pulp, Paolo Nutini, Metronomy, Siouxsie, and many others.
From Immigrant to Entrepreneurial Success
William is very proud of his part-Asian heritage, and has done everything to delete the differences between the two cultures. He’s appeared in Shakespearean plays and on TV, but isn’t a regular Asian teenager. Thanks to this, he’s broken the shackles of prejudice, and has been enjoying his entrepreneurial success.
Net Worth
According to authoritative sources, William Gao’s net worth is estimated at over $500,000, as of early 2023.
William Gao as Tao Xu pic.twitter.com/OQbqSJ5BSV
— Heartstopper News 🍂 (@Heartstopper_TV) May 2, 2021
Personal Life, Dating, Girlfriend, Is He Gay?
William is very secretive about his personal life. He hasn’t shared his dating history, and his current relationship status is also unknown. This secrecy, combined with his appearance in the LGBTQ+ theme-based series, has spawned some rumors, including of him being gay. However, his character isn’t a homosexual in the series, so many believe he is straight; we can only speculate until he comes out with more information.
Appearance and Body Measurements
William has black hair and brown eyes. He’s known for his tall and skinny stature as he stands at 6ft 3ins (1.9m) tall, and weighs approximately 155lbs (70kgs). His vital statistics are 34-28-35.
Hobbies, Interests, and Trivia
In addition to acting and making music, William is interested in photography and fashion. In his official Instagram profile, on which he has more than two million followers, William often uploads pictures of himself as a fashion icon, wearing suits, coats and other fashionable clothing. He’s advertised a number of clothing brands, and is signed with the Curtis Brown Group.
