\n\tIt\u2019s not often you see a press tour that is as joy-filled as the project that it\u2019s publicizing \u2014 even rarer is one that seems to peddle the same crackling chemistry off-screen as it does on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tBut that\u2019s what appears to be happening with Canada\u2019s queer romance series Heated Rivalry<\/a>, which centers on closeted hockey rivals Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams<\/a>) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie<\/a>), and is based on a book series by the same name. The six-episode first season made its U.S. debut on HBO Max<\/a> in late November \u2014 and in the weeks since, the series that New York magazine says makes \u201cHeartstopper seem like Teletubbies\u201d has flooded the internet with swoon-worthy GIFs, memes and myriad think pieces<\/a>, as its wide-eyed stars dole out one viral interview after another.\u00a0(If you haven\u2019t yet watched<\/a> Williams\u2019 five minute skincare routine, which is somehow 20 minutes long, it is a sheer delight.)<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe reason I wanted to make the show is because it\u2019s a love story and it ends happily,\u201d creator\/director Jacob Tierney<\/a> explained recently<\/a>, adding: \u201cI don\u2019t want to traffic in queer trauma; I want to traffic in queer joy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAudiences were clearly yearning for the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAmid an otherwise bleak news cycle, an unrelenting succession of trauma and tragedy, the 2019 book series shot<\/a> onto the New York Times best-seller list and the critically-praised show was swiftly renewed<\/a> for a second season. (Though viewing metrics are still sparse, Heated Rivalry quickly became HBO Max\u2019s top-rated live-action acquisition ever.) More recently, that same joyous spirit infused the show\u2019s P.R. run, which hasn\u2019t felt like the contractual obligation it often does on other projects with other stars. Williams has joked about being \u201cuncoachable\u201d with regard to media training, but he and his equally charming, equally off-script co-star have provided us an antidote when we seemingly needed it most.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAs it turns out, witnessing two young, exceedingly green actors be so free in and genuinely enthusiastic about the moment that they\u2019re experiencing is as refreshing as it is endearing. Neither one of them is above it or blas\u00e9 about what is happening, as you so often see once fame hits \u2014 nor are they dismissive of or embarrassed by the premium smut that they\u2019re promoting. In fact, when asked about the many explicit sex scenes in their hockey drama, Williams and Storrie \u2014 24 and 25, respectively \u2014 have consistently offered honest, tender answers, and both have said they were considerably more comfortable filming those scenes than they were the emotional ones.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFor me, it doesn\u2019t feel spicy at all,\u201d Storrie has said<\/a>. \u201cLike, that\u2019s me and my best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tUndoubtedly, there\u2019s a relatable or at least aspirational aspect to their overnight success that fuels our collective interest as well. After all, Storrie was still working late nights as a waiter at Culver City\u2019s Laurel Grill right up until he landed the part of Ilya. And thank goodness, he\u2019s said, because the West Texas native (who learned Russian for the role) wasn\u2019t a particularly good server. In fact, he\u2019d been given a final warning, because, as he\u2019s put it, he did \u201ca fucking bad job.\u201d Further North, Williams has said he was also living \u201cpaycheck to paycheck\u201d as a waiter at The Old Spaghetti Factory \u2014 the Canadian equivalent of the Olive Garden \u2014 when he scored the role of Shane.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tBut arguably it\u2019s Storrie and Williams\u2019 chemistry on- and off-screen that\u2019s done the heavy lifting of late. The two don\u2019t just like each other, which is evident here<\/a> and here<\/a> and here<\/a> \u2014 they\u2019re supremely comfortable with one another, both physically and emotionally, and they seemingly have been from the jump. According to Tierney, Williams told him after his chemistry read with Storrie: \u201cThe other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f\u2013k me.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tTo date, the press tour-turned-cultural moment has provided fans extensive opportunity to watch and swoon over the pair laughing, teasing, dancing, petting, grabbing and declaring each other soul mates, or at least cosmically linked. \u201cWe\u2019re both pretty tactile people in terms of love languages and how you express yourself,\u201d Storrie has said<\/a>. The two acquired matching \u201csex sells\u201d tattoos after filming wrapped, which they\u2019ve flashed in interviews; earlier this month, Williams crashed with Storrie while in L.A. to promote the show at bars and malls and fancy parties. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe were like, \u2018Oh, my God, if people saw us just getting ready in the morning, giving each other big spooning hugs, just to say we\u2019re proud of each other,\u2019 people would be going crazy,\u201d said Williams<\/a>, who added: \u201cIf only one fan had access, God forbid. But yeah, we just love each other very dearly.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tInevitably, there\u2019s a healthy swath of the show\u2019s rabid fanbase that would like to believe the actors are a couple off-screen too. But in actuality, neither one of them has revealed a thing about their sexuality in real life, and, frankly, it\u2019s none of our business \u2014 though staying mum has irked out actors like I Love L.A.\u2019s Jordan Firstman, who blasted<\/a> the duo for, among other things, not being gay; or if they are, not coming out publicly. (He faced severe backlash and later walked it back, then snapped an \u201call is good\u201d selfie with Williams at an HBO Max event in L.A.. If there was a lesson to be gleaned, it\u2019s mess with the Heated Rivalry fans at your own peril.)\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tFran\u00e7ois Arnaud, who came out as bisexual in 2020 and now plays the (spoiler!) newly-out Hunter on the show, has been fiercely protective of his younger co-stars as they navigate the new terrain. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot to ask of two young actors to give this much \u2014 and they\u2019ve given so much to the show, but they don\u2019t have to give everything \u2026 being an actor does not oblige you to share your private life with people,\u201d he said recently<\/a>, noting that he was speaking out, on the actors\u2019 behalf, because they\u2019ve \u201cbeen famous for nine days. Can we just give them a break?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSeems only fair, given the pleasure these two have delivered us over the past month. Toggling between the show and the press tour has been a joyful respite from so much ugliness in the world \u2014 one can only hope the next nine days, and well beyond, will remain so. We need it. Maybe we even deserve it.<\/p>\n