A few months ago Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were both working as waiters. Now, they are the stars of Heated Rivalry, one of the most talked-about shows in the world.
Adapted from a novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid, who writes sexually explicit queer romance novels about hockey players, Heated Rivalry chronicles a forbidden love affair between two rival ice hockey players.
The show was not an obvious runaway hit. Created and produced in Canada on a minimal budget—reportedly less than C$5m ($3.6m; £2.6m) per episode—its six episodes were filmed in Ontario in just over a month, with a cast led mostly by unknowns.
However, since its North American debut last November, Storrie, who plays Russian player Ilya Rozanov, and Williams, who plays Canadian Shane Hollander, have amassed millions of fans, acted as torchbearers ahead of the Milan winter Olympics, and appeared on a host of late-night TV shows.
Storrie is set to host Saturday Night Live at the end of this month, while Williams—who reportedly still lives with his mum in Vancouver—recently shared a stage with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at an Ottawa film industry event.
Its penultimate episode has broken records to tie with Breaking Bad for the highest-rated episode ever on entertainment website IMDB. As a result, the show's runaway success has the potential to reshape the television landscape.
“We feel like proud mommas,” says Jenny Lewis, one of the casting directors who found Storrie and Williams.
Lewis and Kay hope they've set a new precedent for giving unknown actors a chance, emphasizing, “We don't care how many Instagram followers someone has.”
Writer and critic Caroline Siede notes the show’s unique engagement, reflecting that it cannot be consumed lightly; audiences need to focus to appreciate the subtleties, especially given the dialogue's mix of languages.
As Heated Rivalry prepares for its second season, casting directors are determined to continue prioritizing Canadian talent, maintaining the series' roots in authentic storytelling.
