Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have addressed ongoing speculation about their sexualities following the gargantuan success of their series Heated Rivalry.
The Canadian sports romance, created by Jacob Tiernay, has received widespread critical acclaim over the past four weeks — particularly for its faithful adaptation of Rachel Reid’s novel (including the steamy scenes) and Storrie and Williams’ undeniable on-screen chemistry.
However, it has inevitably sparked persistent speculation about whether the stars identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In a recent interview with Deadline, which highlighted this aspect of their newfound fame, Williams said he’s accepted how it’s “just the nature of celebrity.”
“I think there’s never a question for me, when I would dream of becoming in the public eye, that I would want just a level of privacy,” he said. “But of course, I agree. I want queer people telling queer stories, but also, there’s the element of Connor and I—we’re best friends, and we love expressing that physically.”
As well as their chemistry on-screen, Williams and Storrie’s off-screen chemistry has gone viral on numerous occasions, from press interviews to TikTok videos and their, erm, physical entanglement at the season one wrap party.
“You see people who infer or assume, and you kind of have to let that go. But then again, I never wanna stop expressing the love I have for Connor physically, and I’m never really going to, and I think multiple things can be true at once,” Williams continued.
“We want queer people telling queer stories. There’s an element of, also you can’t ask that in an audition room. But I think what Jacob said really sums it up the best, which is, you have to gauge how enthusiastic they are about the story.
“And they could have paid me $10 and just fed me, and I’m doing the story. I really thought I was gonna get nothing for this, and I just loved the story so much, and I want to be a part of that. And Connor as well, I’m sure feels the same. So, I think that’s the only thing you can gauge.”
Storrie agreed, saying that it’s important for him to “have a little bit of separation from the character in the show.”
“All I can really say is that I love Ilya, I love the community that this is a part of and that this caters to. I think that’s so much more interesting and valuable than doing just another run-of-the-mill, straight story,” he explained.
“Who I date, who I sleep with, who this, that, whatever, I’m gonna keep that to myself. But regardless, I think this is super important, and I think also on top of that, it’s just really cool.”
Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who have a fierce rivalry on the ice but harbour a secret romantic relationship behind closed doors.
As per the official synopsis: “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.”
On 12 December, Crave and HBO Max announced that Heated Rivalry will return for a second season, which Williams described as “hotter, wetter and longer”.
New episodes air every Friday on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the US, with the finale scheduled for 26 December.
As of writing, a release date for the UK is yet to be announced.
