Nicholas Galitzine has opened up about the one “Purple Hearts” moment that lingers with him long after the cameras stopped rolling, pinpointing a raw, vulnerable exchange that encapsulates the film’s emotional core. In a candid Netflix interview clip that’s resurfaced amid the movie’s enduring popularity, the 30-year-old actor singles out the intense glucose crash scene as his all-time favorite, praising its unflinching portrayal of love amid crisis and the profound bond it forges between his character, Marine Luke Morrow, and Sofia Carson’s Cassie Salazar.

The scene, a pivotal turning point roughly midway through the 2022 Netflix romance, unfolds during a high-stakes deployment when Cassie suffers a severe diabetic episode. Isolated in their shared living space, Luke springs into action, administering her emergency glucagon injection with steady hands despite his own mounting panic. Galitzine’s performance captures Luke’s transformation from reluctant husband in their marriage-of-convenience arrangement to a fiercely protective partner, his voice cracking as he coaches her through the haze: “Stay with me, Cass. You’re not going anywhere.” The moment, laced with sweat-soaked tension and whispered reassurances, dissolves into quiet relief as Cassie stabilizes, her hand finding his in a silent acknowledgment of their deepening connection.

Galitzine, speaking to Netflix shortly after the film’s July 2022 premiere, described the sequence as “the heartbeat of the whole story.” He told interviewers it stood out for its authenticity, drawn from real-life accounts of military spouses navigating health scares. “That scene was everything—terrifying to film, but so rewarding because it showed Luke stepping up in a way he never imagined,” Galitzine shared in the clip, which has racked up over 1 million views on social media platforms like X and TikTok since its initial drop. He credited co-star Carson’s commitment for elevating the intensity, noting how her portrayal of Cassie’s vulnerability forced him to match that energy beat for beat. “Sofia brought such real fear to it; you could feel the stakes. It’s the kind of scene that reminds you why we do this— to make people feel seen.”

Fans have echoed Galitzine’s sentiment, turning the clip into a viral staple that’s inspired countless reaction videos and fan edits set to acoustic covers of the film’s soundtrack hits like “Rescue Me.” On X, users frequently cite it as the “ugly cry trigger,” with one post from a dedicated Purple Hearts account amassing 5,000 likes: “Nick calling this his fave? Spot on. Luke saving Cassie is peak romance—rewatching for the 50th time.” Another thread, shared by a fan page with 20,000 followers, dissected the symbolism: Luke’s quick thinking not only saves her life but shatters the walls between their clashing worlds—Cassie’s liberal roots versus Luke’s conservative upbringing—proving love thrives in the messiest moments. The resurgence ties into the film’s third anniversary buzz, with Netflix reporting a 40% uptick in streams last month alone, fueled by Gen Z rediscoveries on TikTok.

“Purple Hearts,” directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum and adapted from Tess Wakefield’s novel, follows Cassie, a struggling musician grappling with Type 1 diabetes, and Luke, a recovering addict enlisting in the Marines to escape debt. Their sham wedding for her VA benefits spirals into genuine passion, tested by Luke’s Iraq deployment and an IED explosion that leaves him scarred. The glucose scene, filmed over two grueling 14-hour days in Atlanta, demanded rigorous preparation: Galitzine shadowed veterans and medical experts to nail the injection technique, while Carson fasted intermittently to simulate disorientation. “We ran it 20 takes, each more raw than the last,” Galitzine revealed in a 2022 Brief Take interview, where he and Carson swapped behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Rosenbaum, a female director helming a military tale, infused the sequence with empathy, drawing from her own research into spousal resilience.

Galitzine’s affinity for the moment aligns with his hands-on approach to the role, which marked a breakout for the London-born actor. Prior to “Purple Hearts,” he’d charmed in Amazon’s “Cinderella” opposite Camila Cabello, but the Netflix hit—Netflix’s seventh most-watched film ever—catapulted him to heartthrob status, amassing 250 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. He immersed himself in Luke’s psyche, quitting social media during prep to embody the character’s isolation and even learning guitar for the band’s rehearsal scenes. “Playing someone who starts so guarded and ends up all-in… that glucose crash was Luke’s first real ‘all-in’ crack,” Galitzine told TODAY in a September 2022 sit-down, calling the post-production edit “chills-inducing.” The actor, who trained rigorously for Luke’s physicality—bulking up 15 pounds and mastering Marine drills—found the emotional pivot equally demanding. “It was draining, jumping from combat flashbacks to bedside tenderness,” he admitted.

The scene’s staying power extends beyond Galitzine’s praise; it’s a touchstone for audiences relating to chronic illness and military strains. Diabetes advocacy groups like the American Diabetes Association reposted fan analyses, highlighting its accurate depiction of hypo-unawareness risks. On Reddit’s r/PurpleHearts, threads with thousands of upvotes debate its superiority over the wedding or homecoming kisses, with one user writing, “Nick’s right—it’s the quiet heroism that hits hardest. Cassie trusting Luke with her life? Swoon.” Carson, in joint interviews, corroborated the choice, revealing she pitched improvising the hand-hold to deepen the intimacy.

As Galitzine’s star rises—fresh off “The Idea of You” with Anne Hathaway and Hulu’s “Mary & George”—nostalgia for “Purple Hearts” keeps fans clamoring for a sequel. He teased possibilities in a 2022 People exclusive: “There’s so much untapped story—Luke’s recovery, their music dreams. I’d dive back in a heartbeat.” For now, the glucose scene reigns as the film’s emotional anchor, a testament to Galitzine’s nuanced range and the movie’s knack for blending heartbreak with hope.

Social media amplifies the loop: X users stitch the interview clip with scene recreations, while Instagram Reels overlay it with user-submitted “save my life” stories. One viral edit, blending Galitzine’s commentary with the footage, hit 2 million views, captioned “The scene that made us all believers in fake-to-forever love.” Galitzine, ever gracious, liked several, fueling speculation of anniversary content.

In an industry churning rom-coms, “Purple Hearts” endures for scenes like this—unpolished, urgent, unforgettable. Galitzine’s pick isn’t just a favorite; it’s the pulse that keeps viewers returning, tissues in hand, to witness two broken souls mend under pressure. As he told YouTube’s Heart’s Memory Box in 2024, reflecting on the film’s legacy: “That moment? It’s why we fell for them—and why fans keep falling.” With streams surging and sequel whispers growing, the heart-melting magic shows no signs of fading.