5 reasons we love Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie as he turns 26
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry. (Bell Media)
Connor Storrie has been the name on everyone’s lips since he shot to global stardom in Heated Rivalry.
The actor portrays arrogant-but-actually-sweet Russian ice hockey player Ilya Rozanov, opposite Hudson Williams as his love interest Shane Hollander.
The show follows them as they navigate their secret romance on and off the rink, with fans around the world falling in love with both the characters and the actors themselves.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie
There’s plenty more to come, as it’s been confirmed that season two of Heated Rivalry is on the way. And both Storrie and Hudson both got announced for their next roles this week too.
It’s also Storrie’s birthday today (February 22), just over a week after his co-star Williams turned 25.
So as Connor Storrie celebrates his 26th birthday, we’re taking a look at some of the many reasons why fans have fallen in love.
Incredible acting
Connor Storrie is from Odessa, Texas, but you wouldn’t be judged for thinking he actually was Russian after seeing him in Heated Rivalry.
In the show, he perfected Ilya’s Russian accent and Russian lines, so much so that some of his co-stars thought he was fluent.
He told Behind The Blinds: “It was about time and consistency. The moment I got out of the car on set, I started speaking with the accent to all the PAs, all the ADs, hair, makeup and wardrobe people. I stayed in it until the last cut of the day. Not because I was ‘in character’, but because it gave me an hour and a half to warm up.”
Storrie’s convincing accent and performance in the scenes set in Russia even fooled people on set.
He explained on Late Night With Seth Meyers that during those scenes “almost all the background [actors] were Russian”.
“This Russian lady, this older lady, I came back in to reset and she starts [speaking Russian],” he said. “And then I’m like, ‘No, I don’t… I don’t do that.'”
He went on: “Then she told the person next to her. She was [speaking in Russian] and then this man was like, ‘Oh, she thought you were an actual Russian speaker.'”
He explained she didn’t think he was actually Russian, just that “she thought [his] parents were Russian and [he] speaks Russian at home with a pseudo-American accent”.
Self-acceptance
Shortly after his viral fame, Storrie’s old YouTube channel was discovered by fans. Then just 12 years old, it was obvious that he had dreams of making it as an actor.
But rather than delete the account, he decided to keep the videos up after learning to accept his younger self.
He told People that he didn’t have access to the account anymore, but a fan with links to YouTube offered to help.
Ultimately, he decided against it, telling People: “It felt cool to be like, ‘Yep, that was me. And this is me now.'”
He also spoke more about his younger years with Variety, saying: “I love that little guy. I love him. I used to not like him.”
He went on: “I wanted to play pretend and play dress up and disappear into weird worlds and entertain and try to connect with people that way, and that was just not the norm out there [in Texas].”
He’s hot, duh
We can’t ignore the fact that part of the reason fans immediately flocked to Heated Rivalry was, well, just how hot it was.
Both Storrie and Williams spend much of their shared screentime in little to no clothes, and those scenes went viral weekly as they aired.
In December last year, Storrie featured in a photoshoot with Cultured that saw him in little more than a loin cloth – and fans went mad for it.
Reacting to the photos on Instagram, one fan said: “Needed a warning for this.” Another said: “It should be illegal to be so beautiful.”
Someone else said: “He was wonderfully handcrafted by God himself.” And another added: “He’s literally a Greek sculpture.”
Making boundaries while still supporting fans
While he plays a bisexual character in the show, Storrie makes a conscious effort to keep his real life private.
He told Deadline it was important for him to “have a little bit of separation from the character in the show”.
But that didn’t stop him for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
He added: “All I can really say is that I love Ilya, I love the community that this is a part of and that this caters to.
“I think that’s so much more interesting and valuable than doing just another run-of-the-mill, straight story.
“Who I date, who I sleep with, who this, that, whatever, I’m gonna keep that to myself. But regardless, I think this is super important, and I think also on top of that, it’s just really cool.”
Chemistry with Hudson Williams
The close bond Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have is obvious to see.
They have undeniable chemistry as Ilya and Shane, but their overnight fame was also down to their closeness away from the show.
While Williams recently said they make an effort to not be joined at the hip, and avoid too many joint appearances, it’s clear their friendship is solid.
In fact, they each have a permanent reminder, as they got matching tattoos that read “sex sells”.
Williams’ is on his upper thigh, while Storrie’s is on his shin and outlined by a heart.
Speaking with HBO Max, Storrie said: “We settled with ‘sex sells’ because I think it was just kind of like a tongue-in-cheek, winky view of being a part of something like this.”
He went: “For some people, that’s a little cherry on top of the cake to get to watch these two people fall madly in love.”
Happy birthday, Connor Storrie!
