“Heated Rivalry,” HBO’s buzzy new queer hockey drama, is already drawing attention for its electric chemistry, unapologetic romance, and refreshing approach to LGBTQ representation on screen. But creator Jacob Tierney is making one thing clear ahead of the show’s premiere: the private identities of his stars are not up for public interrogation.
In a recent interview with Xtra, Tierney shut down a question asking whether the real-life sexual orientations of actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie should matter in conversations about the series. For Tierney, the answer is simple, and firmly grounded in both ethics and law.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff,” he said, noting that asking performers about their sexuality during casting is illegal. “What you have to gauge is somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work.”
Tierney emphasized that casting “Heated Rivalry” was about finding actors who could bring intensity, vulnerability and emotional truth, not about policing identity. “That’s what’s so impressive about both of these guys,” he added. “They came into this being like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic.’ And they fucking hit it out of the park.”
The series follows Williams and Storrie as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two rising hockey stars playing for rival teams. As the pressure mounts on the ice, a charged, unexpected romance forms off of it. Early viewers and critics have already highlighted the duo’s chemistry as one of the show’s standout elements.
Williams, speaking to Out, described an immediate and undeniable pull when reading opposite Storrie during auditions.
“I read with one other possible Ilya, and it was good,” he said. “But something about Connor… there was an inexplicable X-factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be.”
Tierney recalled Williams being even more candid in private: “Hudson told me, ‘The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me.’ That is literally what he said. And I was like, ‘Well, I think I cast this right.’”
The conversation around who “gets” to play queer roles, and the pressures put on actors to disclose personal details, has only grown louder in recent years. Tierney’s stance positions “Heated Rivalry” within a more expansive view of LGBTQ storytelling: one that prioritizes craft, consent, and respect over public speculation.
For many LGBTQ viewers, the debate goes deeper than labels. Authentic representation requires not only nuanced performances but also production environments that understand the risks queer actors face. Tierney’s approach aligns with a growing sentiment across queer communities, that privacy and representation aren’t mutually exclusive.
“Heated Rivalry” premieres amid increased visibility for queer stories in sports media, a genre long dominated by hypermasculine narratives. By centering a same-sex romance in professional hockey, one of the world’s most traditionally straight-coded sports, the series adds bold emotional depth and cultural relevance to HBO’s growing LGBTQ slate.
Whether or not the stars publicly identify as queer, Tierney says the work speaks for itself. And for audiences ready for more complex portrayals of queer love in competitive spaces, “Heated Rivalry” looks poised to become a breakout hit.
The series premieres on HBO in early 2026.
