Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams thought Connor Storrie would ‘pin me down and f**k me’ during audition
"The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down," Jacob Tierney remembers an exchange with Hudson Williams
By Aaron Sugg
Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie’s sexual chemistry was steamy from their first audition, as creator Jacob Tierney recalled a moment when Williams thought he was about to get pinned down by his co-star.
Both actors said their chemistry had “no boundaries”, a connection Tierney said was crucial in casting them as characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
In a recent interview with Out Magazine, the showrunner recalled the moment he knew their chemistry was the right fit for the lead roles in the Canadian queer romance series.
“Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me” – Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney recalls Hudson Williams telling him during auditions
“Hudson told me, ‘The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me,’” Tierney said. “I think I cast this right,” he added.
this is a lot freakier than i thought it would be #heatedrivalry pic.twitter.com/p2jA1UiFRa
— 🐈⬛ (@dinahbelova) November 28, 2025
Speaking about casting Williams as Shane, Tierney revealed: “Hudson was the third actor that I read with. The first two I was like, ‘Okay, this is cool,’ and then Hudson came on. Jacob [the showrunner] actually texted me directly and was like, ‘What do you think?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, Hudson, for sure. Instantly.’”
He also spoke about casting Storrie, saying that the 25-year-old brought authenticity and rawness to the lead role: “There was an inexplicable X-factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be.”
Tierney previously told Teen Vogue that viewers can expect around three sex scenes per episode, capturing moments of consent, self-discovery and internalised homophobia.
“We became really close really quickly, and it’s way easier to have sex on camera” – Connor Storrie on his and Williams chemistry in Heated Rivalry
the soft neck kisses and shane smiling
— ash (@weltonsrichmond) November 28, 2025
they are so precious and are already falling for each other #heatedrivalry pic.twitter.com/ddY1pEZnRw
Speaking on talk show The Society on CTV, Storrie explained how their relationship has blossomed: “Me and Hudson are best friends. We became really close really quickly, and it’s way easier to have sex on camera and fall in love with someone if you’re friends.”
The six-part series, based on Rachel Reid’s novel, has gained immediate traction on social media, with viewers already clipping, thirsting and praising the lead actors’ on-screen romance.
“Chemistry so good, I had to look away because I felt like I was intruding,” one user commented. Another said: “This is a lot freakier than I thought it would be.”
thumb work goes crazy #heatedrivalry pic.twitter.com/Ud1CIgCUui
— minion blaine 🍂 (@joekitcriss) November 28, 2025
Heated Rivalry was released on 28 November, available on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US, and has skyrocketed up the charts, currently ranking in the top two most-watched HBO Max shows in the US and Australia.
A UK broadcaster is yet to be announced.
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