Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams on Heated Rivalry‘s most intimate episode yet & what they really think of Scott & Kip
"Their story very much overlaps with ours," Storrie says of Scott & Kip's romance. "I can't wait to see that come to fruition... it's pretty revolutionary for the whole series."
Mark
***Caution: Spoilers ahead for Heated Rivalry, Episode 4, “Rose”***
When we last spoke with Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams it was back before Thanksgiving, before the first episode of their series had aired, before most people knew who they even were—before their bare behinds were all over social media.
A lot can change in two-and-a-half weeks. (Including the fact that, just this morning, the show was renewed for a second season!)
How about we take this to the next level?
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A few days ago, the pair popped in for a surprise appearance during trivia night at West Hollywood bar Hi-Tops, sending the crowd in attendance into pandemonium. “Thank you for tweeting about our butts,” Storrie said to the gleeful mass of gays in the room, prompting even more cheers and applause. It felt like proof that this little hockey show that could had turned them into stars overnight, at least in certain rooms.
But despite the sudden spike in profile and attention, Storrie and Williams remain two friendly, down-to-earth guys—good pals who love to joke around and talk about a show they’re immensely proud of. A show that happens to feature them frequently getting very intimate with one another, both emotionally and physically.
And, on that note, the most recent episode—titled “Rose”—is a doozy, featuring a centerpiece sequence at Ilya’s place in Boston, where it feels like they’re closer than ever to admitting they’re ready for a real, honest-to-goodness relationship with each other (tuna melts and all). Until they’re not.
In conversation with Queerty, Storrie and Williams help us unpack Ilya and Shane’s headspaces during their time together in Boston, reveal the “cosmic” coincidence behind the episodes’ closing montage song, reflect on which of their early roles helped prepare them for Heated Rivalry, and share what they really think of Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady’s (Robbie G.K.) romance.
You can watch our conversation with Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams above, or read our full interview with the Heated Rivalry stars below.
QUEERTY: Episode 4 is probably my favorite episode yet, and I want to first dive into the end of it, because there is a truly galaxy-brain needle-drop for the club scene—I don’t know if you’ve seen the final cut of the episode yet, or if you were even aware of this on set: t.A.T.u.’s “All The Things She Said.”
HUDSON WILLIAMS: [With a smile] Mm-hmm, yup!
It’s the perfect song: It’s Russian, it’s gay—all the elements are there. Were you guys listening to that on set?
WILLIAMS: No, we weren’t!
CONNOR STORRIE: We were listening to—we got to choose our music for the segments where we were dancing. You guys did like a Fred Again song, I remember.
WILLIAMS: Yeah, we just did a club song for what me and Sophie and I were dancing to. But I was a fan of the song!
STORRIE: I picked Locked Club, it’s this Russian dance thing and “Doschitai” is the name of the song. [Singing] ‘Doschitai, doschitai.’
Oh, I’ll be looking that one up! But t.A.T.u, when that started playing, I was like, ‘Oh this show is just on another level.”
STORRIE: Well, when we dd a Q& after the after the Toronto premiere—
WILLIAMS: That was cosmic!
STORRIE: Yeah, I swear to god, I hadn’t seen Episode 4 yet, I didn’t know we were using that song. And we were asked, “What song do you think would be their anthem?” And I said that song. And Jacob [Tierney, series creator] looked over at me, and he was kind of rolling his eyes, and he was like, “Are you messing with me?” And I thought he was upset, because I think he thought that I was spoiling it? But I was like, “No, I swear to god, I didn’t know that that was the thing!”
So, elsewhere in the episode, I really want to get into the time that these two spend together at Ilya’s place— tuna melt and all. I know you two have the matching “SEX SELLS,” and everyone’s going to get their money’s worth, but this also feels like such an important part of their emotional journeys. Can you walk me through where you feel each of their head spaces are here, especially as Shane suddenly walks out the door? Why is this episode so important to their arc, their relationship?
WILLIAMS: “It’s the first time we kind of see them in light, both literally and metaphorically as well, you know? It’s open, and it has room to breathe, the relationship, and it feels reminiscent of a relationship and a domestic life. And I think there are two options: There’s just full acceptance of, “Yeah, we could end the episode there, then they move on, they get married right on the spot, and then—” But it’s not that easy. So it represents all the things, I think, all the hang ups that Shane has come come to him in that at that point when it is just sort of appeasingly on—or hinted that it’s on—a platter of some sort.
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And, Connor, I was curious if you think something’s shifted for Ilya? Because the fact that he’s making a tuna melt for Shane, it feels like he is willing to open himself up more to an actual relationship than we’ve seen previously.
STORRIE: You know, I think for things like that—for me, at least, in real life—you kind of sometimes act before really knowing what you think, why you think. I mean, especially with relationships, if you’re dating somebody, sometimes they’re like, “Okay, well, do you like me? Because you kind of did and said this thing. So if you’re telling me you don’t like me, then why were you doing this?” And then you’re like, “I don’t know, because it felt good, and that’s where we were going.”
So I don’t have like a direct answer of, “he’s ready to go, he’s locked in, and this is a this is an action based on that.” I think he’s just going with what feels good, and I think both of them are, honestly. What feels good, and then retrospectively, when things start not feeling good, then you kind of break down, like, “Okay, why is this not feeling good?” They don’t have the emotional wherewithal to really get to that exactly just yet, but we’re starting to see that that kind of fall apart.
Certainly we are, which is what sends Shane into the arms of Rose, played by the lovely Sophie Nélisse
I love the scene where she’s talking about an earlier role of hers with Shane, and since fans have really delighted in discovering earlier roles of each of yours, I’m wondering: Is there a past role that feels like it was especially formative [for you,] or maybe, in retrospect, helped pave the way to Heated Rivalry?
STORRIE: I’m learning—I learn something on everything! I haven’t really worked a ton before this, to be completely honest with you. I did Joker, I did some indie movies, and that’s kind of it. I mean, the thing that you learn about this is just time. I mean, that’s kind of the messed up thing about acting: you really don’t know how to do it until you’re doing it.
Because you can take—I mean, unpopular opinion, and, no, I’m not trying to sh*t on acting classes or school or anything—but, I’m sorry, doing a scene study in front of people that you’ve known for weeks and months and years is so different than being flown across the world, waking up at 5am, and being in front of people that you’ve never met before, you know? And if it’s actually easier in real life. So, yeah, I’m always learning from from the few things that are done leading up to this!
WILLIAMS: I did an indie short film in my film school—semester one, semester two—that was the same character, and he was a closeted gay guy who kind of just wants his friend back, who has crippling anxiety. And I made a lot of mistakes, I wasn’t a great actor when I did that. So I could relate with the sadness and sort of the depths of the depression, but it just doesn’t manifest in the same way as Shane. This guy was sort of like, he didn’t have any go he didn’t have anything in his life that was going for him. So I suppose there was a somewhat like soul connect between the two, and similar circumstances in a way. But each time there’s a new role, it feels like you’re learning to act for the first time, in a way.
I’d also love to just briefly ask about Scott & Kip, who were in last week’s episode—
STORRIE: Who? No, I’m kidding. [Laughs.]
No, but I wondered if you two had thoughts about where things end up with them, if they made the right decisions for themselves, and what their story’s important for what might come into play later on.
STORRIE: Their story very much overlaps with ours, and that’s why it’s such a pivotal point in the series.
WILLIAMS: I just can’t wait to see people—
STORRIE: Yeah, I can’t wait to see that come to fruition, and see people who haven’t read the book see that. Because it’s pretty revolutionary for the whole series. It’s very exciting. And the way Jacob does it, is crazy. Jacob Tierney is crazy!
WILLIAMS: He’s fantastic; he’s the greatest!
He is! Even just the look of the show—I feel like it’s rare that we get TV like this anymore, it’s gorgeous.
STORRIE: It’s so weird for us to judge it because we’re in on it. So I’m like, “Is it good? Because I think it’s great!” I think it’s great; do you think it’s great?
WILLIAMS: Yeah!
STORRIE: But, yeah, Scott and Kip are really cool. Everyone’s been loving them online, too.
I know it’s hard to take them out of context, but do you think if Shane or Ilya were in Scott’s position, do you think they would’ve gone to Kip’s birthday party?
STORRIE: Well, Scott’s been around the block a little bit more, he’s a little older. And I’ve talked to François about it after I watched it, and his whole storyline is, like, he knows wants, he knows what he’s after, and that’s why he’s able to make that. We’re in a position, kind of what I said earlier, like, “I don’t really know what I want, but it feels good.” So it’s in a different position, but I don’t know if in 15 years—
WILLIAMS: Shane isn’t going anywhere publicly! He is under a weighted blanket/
STORRIE: He’s have to be [mimes pulling a rope] coaxed out.
WILLIAMS: Yeah, just there rocking like a baby.
Well, i’ve got to wrap there, but thank you guys so much for the time!
STORRIE: Thank you for seeing us!
WILLIAMS: Yes, thank you so much
Episode 4 of Heated Rivalry, “Rose,” is now streaming. New episodes premiere every Friday on HBO Max (and stream simultaneously on Crave in Canada).
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