HBO’s Heated Rivalry is changing into a breakout hit because of the chemistry between the 2 male leads — however who’s Connor Storrie exterior of his position as Ilya Rozanov?
Based mostly on Rachel Reid‘s Sport Changers guide collection, Heated Rivalry follows two rival skilled hockey gamers Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), whose animosity on the ice is only a entrance for a secret — and really passionate — romance.
The present premiered on Crave in November 2025 earlier than changing into accessible to a good wider viewers via HBO Max. Shortly after the primary few episodes have been launched, guide followers took to social media to point out their assist for the difference — particularly when it got here to the chemistry between Storrie and Williams.
“We’re each fairly tactile folks by way of love languages and the way you specific your self,” Storrie advised Swooon on the time. “We each like bodily contact, whether or not it’s with mates, household, companions.”
He continued: “When these characters are feeling good in direction of one another, I feel we knew consciously to permit that to come back out. The enjoyable of that finally ends up being what it seems like [for Shane and Ilya], and the way it’s completely different from us, personally. That’s an impulse that’s sort of naturally inside us. We additionally turned tremendous shut, tremendous fast, in order that makes it even simpler, too.”
Whereas talking to Out Journal, Storrie broke down his strategy to bringing the cocky hockey participant to life.
“To ensure that us to imagine these two folks collectively, we now have to actually imagine them alone. And there’s a lot loopy stuff that occurs in Ilya’s life. It’s all there,” Storrie famous that very same month. “It’s about actually believing in these eventualities as a way to make one thing cool occur. Additionally, selfishly, I simply love [the] Russian language. I like any alternative to do an accent, be taught a brand new talent, and this had all of it.”
Preserve scrolling for the whole lot to find out about Storrie:
What Roles Is Connor Storrie Identified For?
Earlier than profitable Us over as Ilya, Storrie performed the younger Arkham Asylum inmate within the 2024 movie Joker: Folie à Deux. This required Storrie to maintain his work a secret for almost two years earlier than he was lastly capable of affirm his participation amid the film’s launch.
Does Connor Storrie Have an Athletic Background?
After being raised in Texas, Storrie skilled as a gymnast. He in the end shifted his focus to appearing, although he credit his background for serving to him authentically play a task in HBO’s Heated Rivalry.
How Did Connor Storrie Work to Deliver Ilya Rozanov to Life?
Some viewers could also be shocked to know that Storrie didn’t know Russian earlier than the present. To play Ilya authentically, Storrie labored on studying the language and perfecting a Russian accent for the traces he delivered in English.
“Truthfully, I’ve all the time simply thought [the] Russian language and Russian tradition was actually cool. It’s so completely different from American tradition so it feels actually unique and on the market from the place I come from,” Storrie advised ETalk in November 2025. “So attending to play something that’s as distant from me as attainable I really feel like is de facto enlightening.”
He continued: “It’s additionally simply enjoyable to placed on that type of posture and that type of factor. , I’m tremendous enthusiastic, so getting to do this is simply enjoyable. It enables you to uncover issues about your self and concerning the world. It’s simpler to play that means too, as a result of I’m not so involved about being Connor.”
Definitely worth the wait. From Teen Wolf‘s Stiles and Lydia to Stranger Issues‘ Joyce and Hopper, some TV reveals launched {couples} that took fairly a while to lastly get collectively. The hit MTV collection, which aired from 2011 to 2017, targeted on a highschool pupil who turned a teenage werewolf after he was bitten by […]
How Did Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams Develop Their Onscreen Chemistry?
Creator Jacob Tierney praised Storrie and Williams’ dedication to Ilya and Shane’s love story throughout a joint interview with Out Journal. On the time, the trio recalled the work that went into casting each of them reverse one another.
“Hudson was the third actor that I learn with. The primary two I used to be like, ‘Okay, that is cool,’ after which Hudson got here on. Jacob really texted me immediately and was like, ‘What do you assume?’ And I used to be like, ‘Yeah, Hudson, for positive.’ Immediately,’” Storrie recalled earlier than Williams added, “I learn with one different attainable Ilya, and it was good. However one thing about Connor … There was an inexplicable X-factor that simply felt realer than what I assumed it may probably be. And that was one thing. I had a quote I advised Jacob, at one level, about my learn with Connor specifically.”
Tierney recalled the dialog, saying, “Hudson advised me, ‘The opposite man was good, however Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f*** me.’ That’s actually what he mentioned. And I used to be like, ‘Effectively, I feel I forged this proper.’”
