Connor Storrie has taken over the internet, and these are the facts you should know

These days, it feels as though an unspoken competition has been declared in our office under the title Who Is More Obsessed with the Series Heated Rivalry. The rivalry unfolds across several disciplines: how many times each person has rewatched the show, who has written more texts about it, who has watched more interviews with Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, and who has gathered the most insider information, while the most devoted have already booked personal trainers in an effort to achieve the spindle-like musculature, let us call it that, of their favorite characters. That we are not an isolated case in this dramatics is clear to anyone who has found themselves caught in the Heated Rivalry algorithm vortex on social media. Connor and Hudson have not only overnight become the main stars of cultural events such as the Golden Globes and shows like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, but have also landed front-row seats at Chanel and other global brands. The phenomenon of the decade has now been sealed with the news that they will be carrying the torch at the Winter Olympic Games.

With a heavy heart, I admit that within this duo Connor Storrie nevertheless commands more of my attention, read: hysteria, both through his role, his looks, and his life story. Well, the time has come for me to return to measuring strengths with my colleagues and to add one more point to my name in the secret score table. Below, I single out the most interesting facts about the star of the series Heated Rivalry.

Related: I watched Heated Rivalry and realized why it set social media on fire

From waiting tables to global popularity

You may recognize Connor from the 2024 film Joker: Folie à Deux, in which his character kills Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, but even then no one could have guessed that he was destined for major fame. Before auditioning for Heated Rivalry, Connor worked as a waiter and was preparing to quit. Appearing as a guest on a show, he recounted that on the very day he found out he had landed the role in the series, he also received serious criticism from his manager: “I messed up one table to the point where it was terrifying.” Filming began roughly a week later, and the rest is history.

HBO Max

He has no Russian background

One of the first surprises was learning that Connor is not Russian. He neither has Russian roots nor any personal connection to the country whose language he mastered to perfection. He is in fact an American from Odessa, Texas, which makes his portrayal of Ilya Rozanov even more impressive, especially considering that he himself has said that learning Russian was his greatest challenge, as he had to memorize around 25 pages of dialogue in that language. That was not the only skill that challenged him. Since he had virtually no experience with skating, he took lessons for weeks in order to find perfect balance on the ice. Judging by the results, everything seems to come naturally to him.

As a teenager, he made YouTube videos

When he was a teenager, Connor uploaded several YouTube videos under the username actorboy222, in which he introduced himself and openly talked about his dream of becoming an actor. Years later, that early ambition feels almost prophetic. It is clear that this vision never left him, which can serve as a touching reminder that it is always worth following your impulse and believing that anything is possible.

He recently finished shooting his first feature film as a director

In addition to acting, Storrie also harbors a strong passion for directing. He recently completed filming his first indie feature, Transaction Planet, which was shot entirely on an iPhone. “It is about an alien spirit that incarnates into a human body. It wakes up as a fully formed adult and then, over the course of an hour and a half, goes through all the brutality of life, violence, robbery, theft, abuse, all of it, only to ultimately find closeness and connection through that experience,” he revealed in a recent interview.

He has not spoken about his love life

As much as some fans would like to believe that Connor and Hudson are truly a couple, neither of them has spoken publicly about their love life or sexuality. The series creator Jacob Tierney deliberately defends their right to privacy, saying that they were chosen for their “enthusiasm and willingness to put in the work.”

Connor has stated that Hudson and he agreed, before filming numerous sex scenes, that they were ready for “the most extreme form of kissing… a minimal amount of clothing… and everything except actual sex,” often emphasizing that they have since become best friends. The only thing that truly matters in this story is that Heated Rivalry has undoubtedly sparked important discussions about institutionalized homophobia in professional sports, inspiring many to come out and stop hiding their sexuality.

Photo: HBO Max