Heated Rivalry is making headlines courtesy of Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie‘s onscreen connection — however what’s there to know concerning the actor who performs Shane Hollander?
Based mostly on Rachel Reid‘s Sport Changers e-book sequence, Heated Rivalry follows two rival skilled hockey gamers Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), whose animosity on the ice is only a entrance for a secret romance.
After premiering on Crave and HBO Max in November 2025, Heated Rivalry blew up on social media as a result of heated scenes between Williams and Storrie. Creator Jacob Tierney opened up concerning the work that went into creating the fictional TV couple.
“We talked about how each time these guys aren’t touching, they need to be,” Tierney instructed Swooon on the time. “So the act of not touching ought to be harder for them than touching. They’d need to be bodily with each other, and that’s a part of the general public/personal dance that they do, and the frustration of being in public.”
He continued: “There’s a magnetism as a result of there are two characters that primarily have this chemistry instantly. This magnetic electrical factor is occurring between them, and they don’t get to fulfill it as a result of they’re not allowed to be bodily with one another the way in which that they want to be in public.”
Williams, in the meantime, broke down the conversations he had with Storrie about Shane and Ilya’s journey.
“Even the moments once they’re not touching, there’s a craving to the touch. There’s a great interval within the present the place they’ve sort of damaged that barrier, and there’s slightly bit extra consolation,” he defined. “However the language of bodily communication nonetheless has an exquisite evolution the place it will get extra snug by the point you attain the later episodes. It’s modifications fairly a bit, and I believe having an awesome intimacy coordinator and Jacob there, they had been in a position to assist navigate us that language and remind us of the place it might presumably be tougher in moments for Shane and Ilya, and the place we will simply totally envelop one another with every part we need to do.”
Hold scrolling for every part to find out about Williams:
What Roles Is Hudson Williams Recognized For?
Earlier than Heated Rivalry, Williams wrote, directed and starred in varied quick movies together with the 2024 quick Rancid. He additionally appeared in Brim Reaper, Teresa’s Selection, Peace of Thoughts, Mrs. Changs Excellent Enamel, Chad GPT, The Courting Sport and Snow Angel.
Heated Rivalry is Williams’ first main TV position after visitor roles on Tracker, Allegiance and TV films All I Want for Christmas and No person Dumps My Daughter.
How Did Hudson Williams Work to Deliver Shane Hollander to Life?
“I’m half-Korean, after which my dad is British-Dutch Canadian,” Williams instructed The PR Press in November 2025. “I believe it meant lots to me and my mother. … My mother is Korean. She all the time thought it will be tougher for me to interrupt into movie and performing as a result of she hadn’t actually seen anybody.”
What Is Hudson Williams’ Favourite Half Concerning the ‘Heated Rivalry’ Position?
Williams stated he “fell in love with Shane instantly” after becoming a member of the present.
“I imply, I used to be falling in love with him even once I learn the perimeters, which had been simply the audition. It was two scenes that I obtained for the audition. By the point I completed studying episode 6, I used to be crying. I felt like nobody else was allowed to play him. I wanted to play him,” he instructed Out Journal in November 2025. “Shane may be very affable, despite the fact that he’s type of a departure from myself. As a lot anxiousness as I’ve, Shane has quadruple, tenfold extra, and it’s simply pouring out of him always.”
Williams continued: “And that was enjoyable to play, even when typically my abdomen harm. I all the time considered him as type of this beautiful, neurotic character. This little concoction of this flowery, decided, type of alpha in some methods — or type of wanting to look so — after which simply this beautiful little delicate portray in different methods.”
How Did Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie Develop Their Onscreen Chemistry?
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in Heated Rivalry Crave/HBO Max
Throughout a joint interview with Storrie for Swooon, Williams mentioned the intensive intercourse scenes.
“Simply with buddies, I don’t really feel like I’m totally in a position to be earnest with them if I don’t set up a contact barrier with them — consensually, in fact!” Williams joked on the time. “However the similarity for me and Shane is that, particularly once we’re in love, there must be fixed touching even when the scene isn’t intimate in that type of method.”
Williams elaborated on exploring the intimacy in refined methods, including, “Typically, a tough intercourse scene is likely to be simpler than only a conversational scene the place you need to sort of contact a leg or contact a shoulder. It may possibly really feel like a 10-mile drive to brush a cheek. However we had such a great relationship that I used to be in a position to categorical myself in that method via Shane and with Connor. That was actually beautiful.”
