Those currently in the throes of their Heartbreak High binge session might’ve noticed a few changes to the widely beloved Australian teen drama.
Now in its second season, the Netflix show — a reboot of the 1994 original of the same name — has made some changes to both narrative and characters, expanding the storylines of its ensemble cast and taking viewers to new filming locations.
Led by Ayesha Madon as Amerie, Heartbreak High’s cast of young actors is perhaps its major drawcard, with fans particularly taking to James Majoos as Darren, Will McDonald’s Ca$h and Chloé Hayden as Quinn. In between the new plotlines of season two — which spans dead birds, new classmates, and naturally, lots of sex — audiences may have noticed the absence of one character who played a bigger role in season one; Dusty Reid.
The character was a mainstay in Heartbreak High’s first season, factoring into storylines around complicated love triangles, oft-toxic bromances and high school crushes. However, Dusty’s role is significantly reduced in season two, when we learn that the character has transferred offscreen to another school.
He appears sporadically in season two’s later episodes and is sometimes mentioned by his old classmates, but those excited by season two of Heartbreak High purely because of the heartthrob should lower their expectations. In his absence, we’re taking a closer look into who plays Dusty in Heartbreak High.
Who plays Dusty in Heartbreak High?
Heartbreak High’s Dusty Reid is played by Josh Heuston. The Australian actor and model was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and is of Anglo-Sri Lankan descent. Alongside his work in Heartbreak High, Heuston is known for his role in fellow Australian TV dramas like Bali 2002, More Like This, and Drive Club, the last of which marked his acting debut and likewise followed a cast of teenage characters.
Elsewhere, Heuston had a small, non-speaking role in Thor: Love and Thunder, playing the character of Zeus Pretty Boy. In 2022, it was announced that Heuston had joined the cast of Dune: Prophecy, an upcoming television series prequel to the Dune films starring Emily Watson and Mark Strong.
Alongside his acting work, Heuston is known for his modeling, which has seen him amass a large social media following and work with fashion brands like Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry, among others. In 2022, fans were convinced that Heuston was romantically linked to Kendall Jenner, following an interaction the pair shared on one of Heuston’s TikTok videos.
Fans should keep an eye out for Heuston in season two of Heartbreak High, since he is credited — albeit very briefly — in three episodes.
