As Crave and HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry grows after its late-2025 premiere and season-2 renewal, its stars are also facing the dark side of online fandom. Hudson Williams and François Arnaud—who play Shane Hollander and Scott Hunter—shared a joint March 2026 sta
When Heated Rivalry debuted on Crave and HBO Max in late 2025. it didn’t just land with hockey fans—it quickly became a show people couldn’t stop talking about. By the time the series earned an official renewal for season 2. its audience had kept expanding. and the next generation of cast members—Hudson Williams. Connor Storrie. François Arnaud and more—was becoming part of pop culture’s daily conversation.
But that global attention has also brought something uglier in its wake: toxic commentary aimed at the performers themselves. In March 2026. Hudson Williams and François Arnaud. who plays Scott Hunter. posted a joint message through Instagram Stories condemning the hateful comments they’d seen directed at their co-stars.
“Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind. None of us need your hateful ‘love,’” the pair wrote. “We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side. If you can’t accept that gtfoh (get the f**k out of here).”.
The show’s cast isn’t just asking viewers to watch—it’s asking them to behave like people who actually want to be part of the community they’re building.
The roster of main performers reflects that “real life meets on-screen intensity” feeling. Hudson Williams plays Shane Hollander, a Canadian hockey player at the center of the series. The 25-year-old actor may be new to Hollywood in the bigger sense, but he’s not new to the work. He has written. directed and acted in a variety of short films. including the 2024 short Rancid. which he co-wrote. co-directed and starred in. His on-screen career also began in 2024 through short films and TV appearances. with roles in Brim Reaper. Teresa’s Choice. Peace of Mind. Mrs. Changs Perfect Teeth, Chad GPT, The Dating Game and Snow Angel.
Connor Storrie anchors the cast as Ilya Rozanov. and there’s one detail fans might not expect: Connor isn’t Russian. He’s a Texas native, and he’s also a director and writer, according to his IMDb profile. His filmography includes a role in Joker: Folie à Deux as a young inmate. In a 2025 interview with Etalk, Connor explained why he became so focused on the character’s Russian accent.
“Honestly, I’ve always just thought Russian language and Russian culture was really cool,” Connor said. “It’s so different from American culture, so it feels really exotic and out there. … Getting to play anything that is as far away from me as possible, I feel like is really enlightening. It’s also just fun to put on that sort of posture. 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.”.
François Arnaud plays Scott Hunter. A Canadian actor best known for roles as Cesare Borgia in The Borgias. Manfred Bernardo in Midnight. Texas. and Tommy Castelli in UnReal. François has been acting since at least 2009. His credits also include Permission, Marlowe, Schitt’s Creek, The Moodys, Yellowjackets and Quantum Leap.
Off-screen, François has also been open about his personal life. He is bisexual and has been dating fellow actor Marc Bendavid since 2023. As public interest in the cast’s private lives surged alongside the show’s popularity. François pushed back on the pressure some viewers feel entitled to place on actors. In an interview with Variety in late 2025. he called it “absurd” to assume anyone should have to share their sexuality simply because they’re in front of a camera.
“It’s absurd to think that you should be allowed to ask about someone’s sexuality when they’re trying to get hired for a job,” François said. “It’s crazy, like we’re only going to hire you if you’re gay? And then it’s, like, how gay are you? It’s a spectrum.”
Even the quieter cast connections in Heated Rivalry have their own fan-favorite pull. Robbie G.K. plays Kip Grady, the show’s only non-hockey player love interest so far. Robbie quickly stood out after episode 3 premiered. bringing to life Kip—the sweet barista and soon-to-be grad student who becomes Scott’s boyfriend. Robbie is 29 and from Ontario. with roles in Utopia Falls. Overcompensating. Marry F*** Kill. The Community Players. The Stanley Dynamic. Full Out. Antisocial and more. His musical theatre background is another big part of his story: according to IMDb. he fell in love with performing at 13. playing Kurt Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.
Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova plays Svetlana, Ilya’s longtime Russian friend and occasional hookup buddy. In the series, Svetlana backs Ilya against his emotionally abusive family situation. The actress and model is based in Toronto. launched her film and TV career in 2016. and has appeared in projects including The Boys. Strays. Slip. Robyn Hood. Adults and A Very Jonas Christmas Movie.
Sophie Nélisse—fans of Yellowjackets will recognize her immediately—plays Rose Landry. In Heated Rivalry. Rose is one of the series’ “undeniable queens. ” a teenage character version of the Antler Queen energy Sophie is known for. Sophie has starred in The Book Thief. which earned multiple award nominations and accolades. including the 2013 Spotlight Award from the Hollywood Film Awards. In the show, Rose briefly dates Shane as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality. Once he figures it out, Rose becomes a true safe space for him as a friend.
Christina Chang plays Yuna Hollander, Shane’s lovable and supportive momager, with a season 1 spotlight in episode 6. The mother-and-son heart-to-heart is described as the kind of scene that pulls tears from viewers. Christina was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and moved to the U.S. to study theatre and film at the University of Kansas. then moved to Washington where she graduated from the University of Washington. After moving to New York City, she steadily booked television roles, including Deadline, 24, L.A. Dragnet, CSI: Miami, Close to Home, Single Ladies, Nashville and The Good Doctor.
Dylan Walsh completes Shane’s family picture as David Hollander, Shane’s dad. An L.A. native who moved to New York City to begin acting professionally, Dylan has landed roles in films and TV series including Loverboy and Kate & Allie.
The show may be about rival hockey players and a bond that deepens off the ice, but the cast’s message in March 2026 makes the real-life stakes unmistakable. As Heated Rivalry’s fame continues to spread, its performers are insisting that fandom should never come with cruelty attached.
Heated Rivalry Crave HBO Max Hudson Williams François Arnaud Connor Storrie Robbie G.K. Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova Sophie Nélisse Christina Chang Dylan Walsh Shane Hollander Scott Hunter Ilya Rozanov Kip Grady Svetlana Rose Landry Yuna Hollander David Hollander Rachel Reid Game Changers Instagram Stories cast statement toxic fandom
people are so gross online.
so they shut down comments?? like just don’t read them lol. but also racism and homophobia is messed up, so… yeah.
I didn’t even know this show was a hockey thing, I thought it was like a wrestling rivalry or something? anyway if they’re getting hateful comments then okay but can we talk about how people get attacked for EVERYTHING now. Like every fandom is toxic, doesn’t matter what show it is. Hudson Williams sounds like they’re trying to clean it up tho.
They posted on Instagram and said “don’t call yourself a fan” but aren’t they also kinda feeding the algorithm? Seems like attention either way. I saw some clip where someone said the show “goes woke” or whatever, so now everyone’s mad at each other. Also I keep mixing them up with other actors from HBO stuff, so when I read the headline I thought this was about HBO shutting down comments on their own page? Either way, I just wish people would stop arguing in public.