Heated Rivalry director shuts down question about stars’ sexuality

Heated Rivalry director Jacob Tierney has shut down a journalist’s question about the sexuality of lead stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

Both Williams and Storrie have become overnight sensations thanks to their roles as rival ice hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov respectively in the new sports romance series, which premiered on Friday 28 November.

Owing to the pair’s undeniable chemistry both on and off screen – and some very steamy sex scenes – the duo have become the latest infatuation of the thirstiest corner of Gay Twitter.

Yet the obsession with Williams and Storrie and their characters’ numerous sex scenes has also prompted some discourse surrounding the stars’ own sexualities.

During a recent interview with Xtra, a journalist asked Storrie and Williams whether they felt “a need to talk about” their personal lives and identities in relation to the show.

Jumping in before either actor could answer, Heated Rivalry’s director Tierney shut down the question, stating that there wasn’t “any reason” for them to answer it.

“I’ll answer this for them. I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff,” he said.

“I’ll tell you something about the casting of both of these roles. You can’t ask questions like that when you’re casting, right? It’s actually against the law.”

In Canada, where Heated Rivalry was filmed and produced, it is illegal for an employer to ask about a prospective employee’s sexuality.

“So what you have to gauge is somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work,” Tierney continued.

“And that’s what’s so impressive about both of these guys is they came into this being like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic and to be as real as possible.’ And they f****** hit it out of the park.”

Nor Williams or Storrie offered any other answer to the journalist’s question, and neither actor has publicly addressed their sexuality.

What is clear, however, is how genuine the pair’s connection is. During a recent chat with Out magazine, Tierney revealed that Williams thought Storrie would “pin [him] down” during the audition process.

“Hudson told me, ‘The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f*** me…’ That is literally what he said. And I was like, ‘Well, I think I cast this right,” the director said.

Storrie added that he and Hudson connected “instantly” during the audition process, and confirmed that the pair got matching tattoos after filming was completed.

In Heated Rivalry, Storrie and Williams’ characters are sports rivals playing in Canadian Major League Hockey, who gradually fall for each other and engage in a secret romance.

The first two episodes of the show are streaming now on HBO Max in the US and Australia and Crave in Canada. Episodes will drop every Friday.

A UK release date is yet to be announced.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.