Get those hearts ready, heartbreakers. Heartbreak High has had two wildly successful seasons on Netflix and fans are clamoring for a third. In the meantime, a lot of fans are exploring the original Australian series, as well as its connections to the reboot.
A few cast members from the original Heartbreak High TV show do make a return in the reboot. Four original cast members have reprised roles both major and minor in the 2022 version.
First up on the list is actor Scott Major. Major played Peter Rivers in the original 1993 Australian film The Heartbreak Kid. When the 1994 television spinoff Heartbreak High hit, he was brought back as the character for seasons 1-3. Rivers is a bad boy archetype but comes with plenty of racism, sexism, and bullying to boot. He’s basically a massive asshole who starts to get a heart over time.
Major would then go on to play the same character in the 2022 reboot, but now Rivers is the father of Darren Rivers, and he has outgrown his racist, misogynist, bigoted past. Goes to show you that maybe some terrible people can change after all.
Next up is actress Lara Cox, who played Anita Scheppers in the original show. Scheppers was the younger sister of Ryan and romantic interest of Kurt, Charlie, and Drazic. She plays the same character in the reboot. Scheppers appears in season 2, episode 3 “The Feelings Pit,” which involves a fundraising event where competing groups fight over funding from The Sydney Inter-Outer East Women’s Association. Anita is one of the event attendees.
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, who played Kurt Peterson in the 1994 show, makes a very brief appearance in the reboot. Peterson was Scheppers’ romantic interest and the two started dating in episode 158 of the original. However, Peterson’s jealous, violent side comes out when he believes people are flirting with his girlfriend. This leads to major relationship problems. We get a scene of Kurt in the reboot, who was briefly part of the police force before an injury made him quit. He’s now head of the Rack Off program.
And last but not least, we have Isabella Gutierrez, who takes up her original role as Chaka Cardenes. Chaka is an Australian immigrant who once dated Peter Rivers. She often had to take care of her brother and sister, as her parents were gone in El Salvador. In the reboot, Chaka now manages Harry’s Cafe and is Darren’s boss.
We’ll keep an eye out for more Heartbreak High news. In the meantime, you can watch Heartbreak High on Netflix.
(featured image: Netflix)
