10 Photos of Connor Storrie: The Breakout Heated Rivalry Star Everyone's Talking About

The breakout success of the LGBTQ+ hockey drama Heated Rivalry has thrust its lead actors, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, into the global spotlight, prompting intense fan speculation regarding their personal lives.

Critics have lauded the on-screen chemistry between the two men. But they are not alone in appreciating the fictional sparks—fans have, too. Because of that, there has been a wave of online inquiries into their personal lives. Particularly, their real-life sexualities.

Who Is Connor Storrie: Career Trajectory and The Ilya Rozanov Role

Connor Storrie was a relatively unknown actor from Odessa, West Texas. He trained as a gymnast in his youth before moving to Los Angeles to start his acting career. He worked full-time at a restaurant on and off while pursuing autidions to support himself.

Storrie auditioned for his role in Heated Rivalry and prepared by studying Russian to embody the character of Ilya Rozanov.

'I just love [the] Russian language. I love any opportunity to do an accent, learn a new skill, and this had all of it,' Storrie told Out.

His on-screen charisma and perfect Russian accent won him the role. It was also easy for showrunner Jacob Tierney to see that Storrie was the actor meant to play Ilya Rozanov. However, Storrie himself admitted that he did not actually think he would be cast for the role.

According to him, in most auditions he tried, the requirements were 'a little less specific.' However, for the Heated Rivalry, it was 'so specific' that he doubted his qualifications. However, since he wanted to act, he gave it a shot, but told Just Jared that he 'definitely did not think it was going to be me.'

Storrie also admitted that he was working at a restaurant during the audition and had the job 'on and off' since he was in high school. He was a full-time employee working 40 hours a week.

Prior to his breakout performance, Storrie had already made appearances in other notable projects, including a minor role in the 2024 film Joker: Folie à Deux. He also appeared in the 2023 American coming-of-age drama, Riley.

However, portraying the competitive and complex Ilya has cemented his status as a major rising star.

Connor on Fan Speculations About Him

Due to Storrie and Williams' fierce on-screen chemistry, fans can't help but speculate about their sexual preferences. However, neither of the two Heated Rivalry leads has addressed the matter, preferring to keep things private.

In his interview with Just Jared, Storrie said he was 'very aware of the presence of social media' and its connection to his audience who follow his projects. Despite some wanting him to address his sexuality, Storrie said he was lucky because the online community has generally been nice to him.

As to those who weighed in on him as a person, he understood that it was the price to pay for being an actor, and he did not take things personally.

'I think it comes with the territory of wanting to work on the level that I'm really excited to work on,' he said before adding, 'It's part of the job, baby.'

Speaking with Deadline, Storrie also clarified the importance of separating his personal life from his character in the show. While he loves his character in the series, he wants fans to know that when it comes to personal stuff, he would rather keep it private.

'Who I date, who I sleep with, who this, that, whatever, I'm gonna keep that to myself,' Storrie explained.

Showrunner Shuts Down Questions on Sexuality

Amidst the swirling online chatter about Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams' sexuality, showrunner Jacob Tierney offered to address the issue. Tierney made it clear that their real-life sexualities are irrelevant to their casting or the story itself.

'I'll answer this for them. I don't think there's any reason to get into that stuff,' Tierney told Xtra.

According to the show creator, they couldn't ask the actors about their sexuality during casting because it is 'against the law.' So, when they looked for the perfect acting partners to play the leads in Heated Rivalry, they gauged 'somebody's enthusiasm to do the work.'

Heated Rivalry is filmed in Canada, where provincial human rights legislation strictly forbids employers from asking applicants about their sexual orientation during the hiring process.

Heated Rivalry streams on Crave and HBO Max.