Heated Rivalry showrunner has shut down speculation regarding Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams’ sexuality.
On 28 November, the first two episodes of the gay hockey romance series finally premiered on Crave (Canada), HBO Max ( US and Australia) and Sky (New Zealand).
Since its release, Heated Rivarly has been an absolute smash hit with the gays, girls, and they’s on social media, with many fans lauding the show’s salacious sex scenes and heartstopping chemistry between Storrie and Williams.
However, like many LGBTQIA+ shows before it, some viewers have already begun to do deep dives into the personal lives of the show’s lead cast members, specifically whether Storrie and Williams identify as queer in real life.
Amid the growing speculation, Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney has come out in defence of the pair’s privacy during a recent interview with Xtra.
When asked about authentic casting and whether Storrie and Williams should discuss their personal lives as leads of a gay TV series, the Shoresy creator told the news outlet: “I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff.
“I’ll tell you something about the casting of both of these roles. You can’t ask questions like that when you’re casting, right? It’s actually against the law. So what you have to gauge is somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work.”
Tierney went on to praise Storrie and Williams for their dedication to their roles and eagerness to make the show’s story “feel authentic and as real as possible,” adding: “And they f**king hit it out of the park.”
Based on Rachel Reid’s hit novel, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two elite professional hockey players and captains of their respective teams whose careers have been defined by their fierce on-ice rivalry.
Behind the scenes, however, the pair have a secret romantic connection — one full of clandestine encounters and complicated feelings.
The official synopsis adds: “What begins as a secret fling between confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings off it.
“Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love.”
As Tierney exclaimed to Xtra, Storrie and Williams have done an exceptional job of bringing Shane and Illya’s love story to life so far, with the majority of viewers agreeing that the actors’ chemistry is electric.
One viewer on X/Twitter wrote: “Chemistry so good, I had to look away cause I felt like I was intruding.”
Another fan wrote: “Heated Rivarly will go down as one of the NASTIEST on-screen chemistry ever!! Like, how do we top this?”
A third Heated Rivalry enthusiast added: “The chemistry between these two should be studied in a lab.”
For more fan reactions to the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry, click here.
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