Fans of Heated Rivalry can’t get enough of the electric chemistry between Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams — and with that intensity has come one very persistent question: are they more than friends? Now, both actors are setting the record straight.
Connor, 25, addressed the speculation head-on in a December 2025 interview with Vulture, acknowledging that the line between on-screen intimacy and real life can feel blurry to viewers.
“For me, it doesn’t feel spicy at all — like, that’s me and my best friend,” he explained. “This is the first time in my life I’m having this many eyes on me. They’ve seen me naked, they’ve seen me kiss, they’ve seen me be in love with a man on screen — it’s only normal for people to try to transfer that over to mine and Hudson’s real life.”
While Connor understands the curiosity, he’s clear about where his focus lies — and it’s not on feeding rumors about his personal life.
“I feel honored to be able to bring someone to life that so many people feel seen, understood, and represented by, and I think that transcends whoever I’m sleeping with in my real life,” he said.
Hudson echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that closeness doesn’t have to come with labels. According to him, the way he and Connor interact is rooted in genuine friendship — and comfort.
“I want queer people telling queer stories, but also, there’s the element of Connor and I—we’re best friends, and we love expressing that physically,” Hudson told Deadline earlier this month. “You see people who infer or assume, and you kind of have to let that go. But then again, I never wanna stop expressing the love I have for Connor physically, and I’m never really going to, and I think multiple things can be true at once.”
As for filming the show’s most talked-about scenes, Hudson admits he actually prefers the intimate moments to the athletic ones.
“I’d rather do the sex scenes because the hockey scenes—my feet hurt and then I cramp and I’m not that good, so I have to be very diligent with making sure I don’t look like a phony,” he joked. “But with the sex scenes, we rehearse them so heavily and we knew what we were gonna do going in, that they’re also a lot of fun.”
Even series director Jacob Tierney has weighed in on the off-screen speculation — or rather, why he avoids it altogether.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff,” he told Xtra. “You can’t ask questions like that when you’re casting—it’s actually against the law. You have to gauge somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work. Both of these guys came in ready to make this story feel authentic and hit it out of the park.”
For now, Connor and Hudson seem content letting the work speak for itself — and keeping their real-life relationship exactly where they want it: grounded, genuine, and drama-free.
