Heated Rivalry season 2 gets five new cast members – and one has surprising past
Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding and Priyanka have been cast in Heated Rivalry (Image: Getty Images)
Heated Rivalry has added five new cast members for season two, including one with a rather unexpected past role.
Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire and Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka are joining, as are Young Royals actor Edvin Ryding and Black Mirror star Sabrina Jalees. But it’s Robert Naylor that has a surprising previous acting credit.
Hampshire will play Vanessa, while Priyanka has been cast as Tarek. They are both friends of Fabian, from the book Tough Guy, which suggests casting announcements for both Fabian and Ryan will be imminent. Abdalla Amour is rumoured to have been cast as androgynous musician Fabian.
Meanwhile, Ryding will play Luca Haas and Jalees will portray Farah Jalali, who is Shane and Ilya’s sport agent. Naylor will play Wyatt Hayes, the Ottawa Centaurs’ goaltender.
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie were previously announced to play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett.
Which books season 2 will adapt
The first season adapted books one and two in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. Season 2 is set to adapt the sixth book, The Long Game, while introducing the lead characters of book five, with Smith and Gillespie playing that pairing.
The casting of Hampshire and Priyanka are a sure sign book three, Tough Guy, will also feature.
Who are the new cast members?
Hampshire is best known for playing Stevie Budd in the Emmy-winning sitcom Schitt’s Creek, and has also appeared in projects including 12 Monkeys.
Priyanka won season one of Canada’s Drag Race and has built a mainstream profile through performance, comedy and music.
Swedish actor Ryding is best known for appearing in Young Royals and 28 Years Later, and has already amassed a strong fanbase at just 23.
Lesbian actor and comedian Jalees has an impressive back catalogue, having written for Canada’s Got Talent and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. She has also acted in Transparent and Black Mirror.
But it’s Naylor who has the unexpected past role, having voiced Dora Winifred Read, better known as DW, in animated kids’ classic Arthur between 2007 and 2012. More recently, the Quebec-born star has appeared in a number of French-language series.
Heated Rivalry season one is streaming on NOW and Sky in the UK.
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