Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid originally wanted someone completely opposite to Connor Storrie to play Ilya

Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry quickly shifted from a beloved queer hockey romance to a breakout television hit from Crave. From her in Nova Scotia, the Canadian novelist spoke to Variety and mentioned that the scale of the response hasn’t quite settled.

The writer of the Game Changer books wanted someone Russian to play Illya. Reid clarified,

"But it was a thing where we said that he pretty much has to be actually Russian because if he’s not, it’s going to be so distracting. People will be able to tell. The whole thing falls apart if he’s not believably Russian."

During the initial casting ideation, Rachel Reid initially imagined someone very different from Connor Storrie in the much-buzzed role of Illya. She originally leaned towards an actor with a contrasting presence, but her mind was soon changed when she met Storrie.

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Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid was looking for someone opposite to Connor Storrie as Ilya

She originally wanted a Russian actor to be cast in the role, aiming for authenticity. But Conor Storrie engaged with Heated Rivalry's Illya with sincerity.

The first day on set for Heated Rivalry's writer dropped her straight into one of the intimate moments of the entire series: Shane and Ilya’s first hookup.

“They were filming the very first sex scene, their first hookup and it’s the longest sex scene on the show."

She explains.

The set was closed, and Reid was only passively observing the actions. She was just waiting on a couch for four hours while the filming of intimate scenes continued. She did not see the actors but could hear the voices.

Reid also mentioned that it was weird not seeing the characters visually, but only listening to the auditory outputs. Reminiscing on the moment, Reid explained that the actor playing Ilya was like she initially imagined:

“He looked so much like Ilya and he speaks with a Russian accent all day while on set.”

Reid suggested that Connor Storrie was deeply interested in the character

“He was asking all these thoughtful questions about the character.”

Reid found herself momentarily disoriented by how closely Storrie seemed to understand Ilya.

“I couldn’t even talk to him because it’s like I’m explaining Ilya to Ilya,” she says. “It was very weird.”

The proximity between her initial casting instincts and the person standing in front of her was too real to ignore. Despite being Texas-born and the opposite of what she initially wanted, Storrie brought life to Illya in a way that brought the show critical praise.

Reid further mentioned that the decision to cast Storrie was fitting. She praised how Conor Storrie is talented and courageous for trying a difficult Russian accent on Heated Rivalry:

"It was very weird, but I could tell right away he was really smart and funny and charming. He’s so talented and fearless. I mean, introducing yourself to the author for the first time while doing a Russian accent is, I think, a fearless choice.”

Heated Rivalry traces Shane and Illya, ice-hockey players who hide a brewing romance underneath the garb of a steamy, heated rivalry. HBO Max acquired the six-episode series from Canadian streamer Crave and aired the first two episodes over Thanksgiving weekend; it quickly became a breakout hit.

Within weeks, Heated Rivalry was renewed for a second season, and both Storrie and Williams have embarked to feature again in the new season. The six-episode series follows the ups and downs of professional hockey while exploring a secret romance between two rival players.

Balancing humor, tension, and heartfelt moments, the show has struck a chord with viewers, and critics have praised the show for fittingly adapting the story with subtlety.

Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO Max.