"Based on Rachel Reid's novel of the same name, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov (Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively) as they explore a private, passionate connection when they're not facing off on the ice. Heated Rivalry (which originally aired on Crave in Canada) spans nearly a decade. But it doesn't waste time introducing Shane and Ilya's physical chemistry through intimate scenes - the first of which arrives less than halfway into Episode 1, "Rookies.""
"As the team shared with Out in a new interview, both Williams and Storrie had done chemistry reads with other potential scene partners as part of the audition process - but Storrie felt "instantly" Williams was the right pick. And Williams returned the love. "There was an inexplicable X factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be," he said. "And that was something.""
"He felt so sure about Storrie, in fact, that he texted the showrunner his summation in quite vivid detail. As Tierney recalled: "Hudson told me, 'The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f*ck me.'" For the showrunner, it was a validating sign. "And I was like, 'Well, I think I cast this right,'" he told Out."
Heated Rivalry premiered on HBO Max on Nov. 28 and adapts Rachel Reid's novel. The series follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who develop a private, passionate connection while competing as opposing hockey players. The story spans nearly a decade and introduces physical chemistry early, with intimate scenes appearing within Episode 1. Both leads completed chemistry reads during casting, and their pairing generated immediate, visceral chemistry that shaped casting decisions. Showrunner Jacob Tierney prioritized a sexy, horny, and fun depiction of a gay relationship and cast to preserve authentic on-screen heat.
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