The stars of the new LGBTQ hockey romance series “Heated Rivalry” say the intense, slow-burn chemistry that drives the show didn’t begin on set, it erupted in the audition room.
In a recent interview with Out Magazine, actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie opened up about the moment they realized their dynamic as rival athletes-turned-lovers felt electric enough to anchor the series. The project, an adaptation of Rachel Reid’s beloved “Game Changers” novels, follows the long-standing tension and eventual romance between pro hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Storrie, who plays Ilya, said he knew immediately that Williams was the right fit for the role of Shane.
“Hudson was the third actor that I read with,” Storrie said. “The first two I was like, ‘OK, this is cool,’ and then Hudson came on. Jacob [Tierney] actually texted me directly and was like, ‘What do you think?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, Hudson, for sure.’ Instantly.”
Williams had a similar reaction. He recalled reading with one other potential Ilya before meeting Storrie, but said something about Storrie stood out in a way he couldn’t ignore.
“There was an inexplicable X-factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be,” Williams said. “And that was something.”
What he didn’t initially remember, but showrunner Jacob Tierney did, was how bluntly Williams described their chemistry after a later test audition.
“Hudson told me, ‘The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f— me,’” Tierney recounted, noting the comment confirmed for him that the pairing was the right creative choice. “That is literally what he said. And I was like, ‘Well, I think I cast this right.’”
The six-episode series, produced by Bell Media and directed by Tierney, brings Reid’s hockey-romance world to life with a cast that also includes François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
“Heated Rivalry” premiered Nov. 28 on Crave in Canada and debuted the same day on HBO Max in the United States and Australia, thanks to multiple international sales secured ahead of launch. New episodes arrive every Friday, continuing the push-pull tension between the two rivals whose competitive fire masks a deeper connection.
As for Williams and Storrie, the actors say their palpable on-screen chemistry comes from a place of trust — and from that first, unforgettable audition where the foundation of Shane and Ilya’s relationship was forged.
