HBO’s Heated Rivalry is becoming a breakout hit thanks to the chemistry between the two male leads — but who is Connor Storrie outside of his role as Ilya Rozanov?
Based on Rachel Reid‘s Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry follows two rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), whose animosity on the ice is just a front for a secret — and very passionate — romance.
The show premiered on Crave in November 2025 before becoming available to an even wider audience through HBO Max. Shortly after the first few episodes were released, book fans took to social media to show their support for the adaptation — specifically when it came to the chemistry between Storrie and Williams.
“We’re both pretty tactile people in terms of love languages and how you express yourself,” Storrie told Swooon at the time. “We both like physical touch, whether it’s with friends, family, partners.”
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He continued: “When these characters are feeling good towards each other, I think we knew consciously to allow that to come out. The fun of that ends up being what it looks like [for Shane and Ilya], and how it is different from us, personally. That’s an impulse that is kind of naturally within us. We also became super close, super quick, so that makes it even easier, too.”
While speaking to Out Magazine, Storrie broke down his approach to bringing the cocky hockey player to life.
“In order for us to believe these two people together, we have to really believe them alone. And there’s so much crazy stuff that happens in Ilya’s life. It’s all there,” Storrie noted that same month. “It’s about really believing in those scenarios in order to make something cool happen. Also, selfishly, I just love [the] Russian language. I love any opportunity to do an accent, learn a new skill, and this had all of it.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Storrie:
What Roles Is Connor Storrie Known For?
Before winning Us over as Ilya, Storrie played the young Arkham Asylum inmate in the 2024 film Joker: Folie à Deux. This required Storrie to keep his work a secret for nearly two years before he was finally able to confirm his participation amid the movie’s release.
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After being raised in Texas, Storrie trained as a gymnast. He ultimately shifted his focus to acting, though he credits his background for helping him authentically play a role in HBO’s Heated Rivalry.
How Did Connor Storrie Work to Bring Ilya Rozanov to Life?
Some viewers may be surprised to know that Storrie didn’t know Russian before the show. To play Ilya authentically, Storrie worked on learning the language and perfecting a Russian accent for the lines he delivered in English.
“Honestly, I’ve always just thought [the] Russian language and Russian culture was really cool. It’s so different from American culture so it feels really exotic and out there from where I come from,” Storrie told ETalk in November 2025. “So getting to play anything that is as far away from me as possible I feel like is really enlightening.”
He continued: “It’s also just fun to put on that sort of posture and that sort of thing. You know, I’m super enthusiastic, so getting to do that is just fun. It lets you discover things about yourself and about the world. It’s easier to play that way too, because I’m not so concerned about being Connor.”
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How Did Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams Develop Their Onscreen Chemistry?
Creator Jacob Tierney praised Storrie and Williams’ dedication to Ilya and Shane’s love story during a joint interview with Out Magazine. At the time, the trio recalled the work that went into casting both of them opposite each other.
“Hudson was the third actor that I read with. The first two I was like, ‘Okay, this is cool,’ and then Hudson came on. Jacob actually texted me directly and was like, ‘What do you think?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, Hudson, for sure.’ Instantly,’” Storrie recalled before Williams added, “I read with one other possible Ilya, and it was good. But something about Connor … There was an inexplicable X-factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be. And that was something. I had a quote I told Jacob, at one point, about my read with Connor in particular.”
Tierney recalled the conversation, saying, “Hudson told me, ‘The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and f*** me.’ That is literally what he said. And I was like, ‘Well, I think I cast this right.’”
