They’re in the big leagues.
“Heated Rivalry” stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams – who were rose from obscurity to become overnight sensations – will continue their reign at the 2026 Olympics.
Storrie, 25, and Williams, 24, will participate as torchbearers during the Olympic Torch Relay on Feb. 6 in Milan, ahead of the opening ceremony.
The 2026 Winter Olympics, also called The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, will be held in Northern Italy.
“Heated Rivalry” is a Canadian series on Crave that streamed on HBO Max in the US. Based on novels by Rachel Reid, it’s a gay romance about rival professional hockey players who have a secret steamy relationship that spans years.
After premiering in November, the show quickly became one of HBO Max’s most-watched shows, and it’s already been renewed for a Season 2.
Hudson and Williams became overnight celebrities, hitting the talk show circuit with appearances on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The duo also made their red carpet debut at the 2026 Golden Globes and presented onstage, on Jan. 11.
“It doesn’t feel like anything you could prepare for,” Williams said on the “Shut Up Evan” podcast on Tuesday, referring to his sudden overnight fame.
The actor – who said he was waiting tables before landing the role – added, “It’s a different existence now, not based on worth or whatever quality of human. But it’s a different life.”
He compared his sudden spotlight to the Beatles.
“And when you see these people, like when you see the Beatles, when you see BTS, there’s an element of ‘that’s not another human that’s a celebrity,’” he said, “which exists in this weird definition that is very abstract. I thought I could empathize with it, but I couldn’t fully feel what they were going through until now. And now it’s just brought this wave of sympathy because it’s not easy.”
In a Dec. 26 story in Interview Magazine, Storrie said that he didn’t expect the show to be a success.
“It’s been shocking because I’m a nihilist when it comes to how I think things are going to be received…I was fully prepared for nothing to really come of this,” he said.
The actor — who also said he was working as a waiter before landing the role — added, “It’d be a really beautiful moment for fans of the books, but it has since transcended that. Anything on top of that is a total blessing, cherry on top of the cake. And it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics will stream on HBO Max in the US. The opening ceremony kicks off on Feb. 6.
