"Tough luck if you prefer your romcoms PG-rated, or ice hockey leaves you cold: there is no escaping Heated Rivalry. The steamy coming-of-age series has been a sensation in North America, making instant stars of its leads as producers rush to make more of it. It's hard to remember the last TV show to spark such a furore, let alone one from Canada's Crave network."
"Heated Rivalry is about the down-low romance between two hockey players: the Canadian good-guy Shane Hollander, played by 24-year-old Hudson Williams, and the Russian Ilya Rozanov, played by real-life Texan Connor Storrie, 25. You might recognise Storrie from the 2024 film Joker: Folie a Deux (his character kills Joaquin Phoenix's Joker), but neither actor looked earmarked for huge fame. Both were waiting tables when they came to audition for Heated Rivalry."
"After premiering in Canada in late November, Heated Rivalry was soon picked up by HBO Max and swiftly became the platform's top-rated live-action acquisition ever, according to a profile of the actors in GQ. HBO's CEO Casey Bloys explained in that same story: When somebody says there's a gay hockey show with explicit sex scenes, you go, Great, I want to look at that.'"
Heated Rivalry centers on a down-low romance between two hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Both actors were waiting tables before auditioning and have experienced rapid rise after the show's Canadian premiere in late November. HBO Max acquired the series and it became the platform's top-rated live-action acquisition, with CEO Casey Bloys noting curiosity about a gay hockey show with explicit sex scenes. The sudden fame has produced intense fandom, left the young leads navigating newfound celebrity while still living with their families, and drawn attention from established stars.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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