Hudson Williams and 'Heated Rivalry' Dominate Canadian Screen Awards
Crave's breakout hockey drama Heated Rivalry emerged as the biggest winner at Sunday night's Canadian Screen Awards, claiming the majority of top prizes. The international streaming hit set a new record by winning 16 awards in total, including best drama and best actor for British Columbia's Hudson Williams.
Based on Rachel Reid's bestselling book series, Heated Rivalry follows a love affair between two players, Shane Hollander (played by Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (portrayed by Connor Storrie), who are on rival teams. Upon accepting his award, the 25-year-old Williams expressed gratitude to his co-star Storrie, whom he called an "honorary Canadian."
"I'm honoured to be Canadian, and this is fantastic," Williams said. "I want to thank some people, the cast and crew of Heated Rivalry, thank you for being such a warm space. Crave, thank you for putting money into our beautiful, straightforward hockey show. HBO, thank you for getting some more eyes on it. Rachel Reid, thank you for creating this universe."
Williams also acknowledged his family and partner Katelyn Larson. "My mom and dad for always believing in me and never letting this dream become something I shouldn't believe in. My partner Katelyn, love you. Thank you so much for always keeping me stable, because sometimes I'm not."
In a heartfelt gesture, Williams said he would split the award with Storrie if he could. "If I could cut this award down the middle, I would, because if these gay yearning little bottom eyes didn't have a big sexy Russian to feast upon, my performance wouldn't be as good. So, to the honorary Canadian, Connor Storrie, I share this award with you."
Speaking to reporters afterward, Williams praised the night's other most-nominated show, North of North. "It shows that we don't have to shoot somewhere else for Canada. We can shoot Canada for Canada, and be proud of it, and it spreads and it permeates. It can resonate across all borders and everyone can appreciate it and love it."
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry Excites Williams
Creator Jacob Tierney is putting the finishing touches on Season 2 episodes, with filming tentatively scheduled to begin this summer in Toronto and Montreal. Backstage, Tierney expressed surprise at the show's worldwide success. "It's bananas," he said. "This was not obvious at any step of the way."
The second season will adapt Reid's The Long Game, the only other book in her hockey series that follows Ilya and Shane. "I kind of just want to honour the scripts that Jacob will write," Williams told eTalk on the red carpet. "I've never gotten a chance to revisit a character before. That's something that really excites me and Connor. I think it's going to be fun."
Williams added: "Summer camp vibe is definitely how that set feels. I think I'm excited to swim in that and see where the relationship grows. It feels like something I can pick up and then evolve. That's going to be really rewarding."
The sex featured in Reid's books and Season 1 will also continue to push boundaries, Tierney said, promising a "similar level of spice." He joked: "We're getting the smutty band back together. It's going to be what you want it to be in that regard."
Season 1 of Heated Rivalry is now streaming on Crave.
