Connor Storrie has shot to fame with the release of HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry. The gay romance sports drama revolves around two professional hockey players. While they are rivals on the field, they are secretly in a passionate relationship.Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams star as the leads, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, respectively. Ilya is portrayed as a Russian in the series. In real life, Storrie is a US citizen who had to learn the Russian language to play the character.The actor recently had an interview with etalk, where he opened up about playing a Russian sports star in Heated Rivalry. Storrie said that he was always fascinated with the country's culture, and is enjoying portraying Ilya on screen:“Honestly, I’ve always just thought 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.”Connor Storrie talks about playing Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry View this post on Instagram Instagram PostConnor Storrie labeled the whole experience of starring in Heated Rivalry as ‘enlightening.’ He said he is enthusiastic about working on the show as it has taught him different things, from Russian culture to hockey skills:“So 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 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.”The HBO Max and Crave series marks Storrie’s first major television project. He was previously seen in a minor role in Tiny Beautiful Things. He also made brief appearances in films like Joker: Folie à Deux, Riley, and Headless Horseman. But Heated Rivalry is the show that has earned him wide acclaim and fame. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostFans were excited about the show ever since the release of its first trailer. The excitement has translated into good viewership numbers for the show, and it is off to a great start on HBO Max. The series is an official adaptation of Rachel Reid’s book series Game Changers.Apart from Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, Heated Rivalry stars François Arnaud as Scott Hunter, Dylan Walsh as David Hollander, Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova, Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander, and Callan Potter as Hayden Pike.The supporting cast includes Slavic Rogozine as Alexei Rozanov, Kaden Connors as Sasha, Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady, Aidan Shaw as Kolya, Yaroslav Poverlo as Grigori Rozanov, and Harrison Browne as Connors.New episodes of Heated Rivalry are released on HBO Max on Fridays.