François Arnaud’s managers advised him against Heated Rivalry – so he got new managers
François Arnaud in Heated Rivalry. (Bell Media)
François Arnaud, one of the stars of Heated Rivalry, has shared how his old managers refused to read the scripts for the global phenomenon.
Spoiler Warning: Details of Heated Rivalry ahead!
The actor, 40, stars as the ice hockey player Scott Hunter in the LGBTQ+ sports drama which primarily focuses on the love story of Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams).
The stars and the series as a whole have won acclaim for the show’s LGBTQ+ representation and authentic storytelling. Fans have also celebrated the actor’s chemistry as well as the intimate scenes.
On Tuesday (13 January) Arnaud joined CBS Mornings to talk about the show’s success. Meeting host Gayle King backstage, the Schitt’s Creek actor explained he had “always believed in [Heated Rivalry] and I thought it would find an audience”.
He then revealed that his previous managers “refused to read it”. He explained their reasoning was: “We can’t pitch you for big things if you’re gonna be doing a random miniseries abroad.” Arnaud then confirmed he’s with “different managers now”.
We can’t imagine Heated Rivalry without Arnaud! His character, Scott, takes centre stage in the show’s “perfectly done” third episode as he meets and falls in love with Kip Grady (Robbie GK).
The episode doesn’t end terribly happily but that is rectified at the end of episode five when Scott chooses to come out publicly as gay by kissing Kip after a game.
Speaking to CBS Mornings on Tuesday about what he’d like to see in season two Arnaud said he’d like to see where Scott and Kip go next.
“I’m hoping to see what reality has in store for them. A relationship between someone who’s uber famous, has a giant platform and someone who didn’t choose that for themselves, there are still challenges that come with that.”
Heated Rivalry is streaming now.
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