Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie has one request for Ilya in season two

Heated Rivalry‘s Connor Storrie is excited to be returning for season two and it would appear he has one request for his character.

Storrie stars as Russian player Ilya Rozanov in the LGBTQ+ sports drama about rival ice hockey players. Hudson Williams plays Shane Hollander, Ilya’s rival.

The show, which first debuted at the end of November, was an instant hit with audiences thanks to the writing, the stars’ chemistry, and the show’s intimate scenes.

Unsurprisingly, creators have renewed Heated Rivalry for a second season. And given the series is based on Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers novels, there’s plenty of material to draw from.

But Storrie is getting in there early with the requests for season two, and there’s one thing he’s mentioned in particular.

Joining Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday (12 January) Storrie recalled learning the Russian alphabet growing up as well as developing an interest in Russian rap.

“It’s so impossibly difficult to learn,” the actor said of the language. “I’m asking Jacob [Tierney, the showrunner], I’m like you have to give me a Russian little rap part [in season two],” he then added.

The 25-year-old then joked the headlines would be: “Connor Storrie destroys everything that was going for him.”

It certainly sounds as though Storrie had an easier time with the Russian than the skating. The actor has even fooled actual Russians with his use of the language.

Storrie mentioned one scene that takes place after Ilya’s dad’s funeral in which Ilya argues with his brother.

In between takes one Russian extra tried talking to him in Russian prompting Storrie to explain he wasn’t a fluent speaker. Another actor helped clear things up.

“This man was like ‘Oh, she thought you were an actual Russian speaker’. She thought that my parents were Russian and I speak Russian at home with a pseudo-American accent,” he explained.

Creators confirmed Heated Rivalry season two in mid-December. The show’s creator, Tierney, has also discussed season two, specifically not wanting to rush it. 

Heated Rivalry is streaming on Sky and NOWTV.

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