What’s in store for Heartbreak High’s ’moral centre’ Jojo?

Chika Ikogwe – who stars as Hartley High’s beloved teacher Jojo Obah – says season two of the Australian-made Netflix smash hit will surprise.

“Jojo found me. I think she is the moral centre of the show, the one who keeps everything together and everyone sane.”

Before acting, you considered a career in medicine. What happened? It was the week before I graduated year 12 when I finally found the courage to tell my parents I wasn’t going to pursue medicine. I’m not good with blood, and hospitals freak me out. I hated the idea of connecting with a patient and then coming back and them not being alive; it’s crazy, I’m too empathetic for that. Now I’m working on my own TV show (Just Chidi Things) which is very loosely based on things that I have experienced that, in the moment, I was deeply traumatised by but now I find funny.

 

And how did the famous Australian actor Rose Byrne get involved? In 2020, I won the Rose Byrne Emerging Female Leader in the Arts Award. I told her I was writing a couple of things and she asked if I could send her some material. A couple of weeks later I got this message on Instagram that was so enthusiastic. Eventually she jumped on as an executive producer, but at the time I was like, “Am I reading this? Is this a simulation? This is not real.”

 

When did you first have an inkling that acting was something you wanted to pursue? It’s been something that’s been with me for a really long time, but the courage found me later. When I was young – going back to when I was at school in Nigeria – I would get told off a lot for talking. I was always playing the clown, but performing was never something I thought I could do for work. In addition to being told that it’s not a stable career path, it’s also not something that is black-friendly, especially in Australia.

Let’s talk about Heartbreak High, in which you star in as Hartley High teacher Jojo Obah. What struck you when you first read that script? That it was actually a representation of Australia. Australia isn’t just the Outback, and it isn’t just a plethora of white people on screen. We are a melting pot and we don’t see enough of that. Reading it, I was like, “It’s going to resonate and make so many people feel seen.” Jojo found me. I think she is the moral centre of the show, the one who keeps everything together and everyone sane.

 

Why do you think it resonated so much overseas? I think the diversity of experience, culture and sexuality all contributed to the global success. When you have different characters representing so many groups, [the audience] is going to feel represented. In so many shows, we’re used to seeing these characters as sidekicks, or as the quirky best friend, and I think maybe people were a bit bored of that. Heartbreak High came in with this fresh new perspective where you have a POC [person of colour] lead, a non-binary lead, and a neurodivergent lead. Where else in the world is that being done?

 

What’s in store for JoJo in season two? I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say, so you’ll have to tune in to find out but there’s no love interest for Jojo in season two. I can say she does have a … tense relationship with one of Hartley High’s new teachers.

 

You are somebody who radiates a solid sense of self-worth – where does that come from? I was raised by a phenomenal woman. My mum has so much joy, life, generosity and kindness to share, and is so solid in her self-worth that I think it has rubbed off on me. I believe in God and believe that whatever is for me will always find me, and if mountains need to be moved then they will be moved. But if I miss out on something that I feel like is super important, that thing in the end really wasn’t meant for me and I will eventually find out why.

 

Heartbreak High season two is streaming on Netflix from Thursday, April 11.