Fans hoping to see Jack Innanen skate into the world of Heated Rivalry next season have their answer.
While attending the Tribeca Festival premiere of Adults season 2 on June 11, Innanen confirmed that he will not be appearing in the highly anticipated second season of the hockey romance series. The actor had been rumored to be in talks for a role before scheduling conflicts ultimately prevented the casting from moving forward.
“It was too bad it didn’t go that way,” Innanen told PEOPLE, adding that he remains a fan of the series and its creative team. He also left the door open for a potential future appearance, suggesting that season 3 could still be a possibility.
“Maybe season 3, yeah. [We’ll] see what they do.”
The news comes as excitement continues to build around season 2 of Heated Rivalry, which stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as hockey superstars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. The upcoming season is expected to adapt The Long Game, the sequel to Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, following the pair as they navigate life after finally choosing each other publicly. Production is currently underway, with the series expected to return next spring.
From TikTok Star to One of Comedy’s Most In-Demand New Faces
Even without a role in Heated Rivalry, Innanen has had a massive year.
The Canadian comedian first built a devoted following online through his viral sketches and deadpan comedy videos before making the leap into scripted television. His breakout acting role came in FX’s ensemble comedy Adults, where he plays lovable chaos agent Paul Baker. The series follows a group of twenty-something friends attempting to navigate careers, relationships, and adulthood while living together in Queens, New York.
Season 2 premieres on August 27 and will continue to explore the fallout from the show’s delightfully messy first season, including the complicated dynamic among Paul, Issa, and Anton after an unexpected marriage and plenty of unresolved feelings.
Innanen has also become a familiar face to Netflix viewers thanks to his role in Big Mistakes, the crime-comedy created by Dan Levy and Rachel Sennott. The series follows siblings Nicky and Morgan as they find themselves pulled into the world of organized crime after a series of increasingly terrible decisions. Innanen plays Max, Morgan’s overly enthusiastic longtime boyfriend, whose earnestness often collides with the chaos unfolding around him.
The actor is expected to return for the recently renewed second season of Big Mistakes, a commitment that reportedly contributed to the scheduling conflicts that kept him from joining Heated Rivalry this time around.
For now, fans will have to settle for watching Innanen dominate two of television’s buzziest comedies. But who knows, maybe his Heated Rivalry story may not be over just yet.
