'Heated Rivalry' S02: Hudson Williams calls returning to show 'surreal'
What's the story
Hudson Williams, the star of the queer hockey romance drama Heated Rivalry, recently shared his thoughts on returning to set for its second season. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), he described it as a "surreal" experience. He also teased what fans can expect from Season 2, saying it will focus on "external adversity and [relationship] communication problems." The upcoming season will reportedly come out in April 2027.
Actor reflections
Initial worries about stepping back into the character
Williams admitted that he and his co-star Connor Storrie were initially worried about returning to the set.
"It was surreal to step into it," he said, adding that it was the first time he had ever returned to a character on such a large scale.
Despite their concerns, the duo decided to be "overconfident."
Williams added, "We're going to show up, and it's just going to be Ilya and Shane right back."
Co-star experience
Filming 1st scenes without each other
Storrie had to work on the first day of filming without Williams.
He later shared his experience with his co-star, telling him, "It was sort of weird...They were all so good that I was like, am I good?...Am I doing an impression of Ilya?"
Williams, however, was confident that he wouldn't feel the same way when he started filming.
"Then I showed up. I was doing the scene...I was like, 'Oh God. Oh God, am I doing a Shane impression?'"
Upcoming season
What to expect from Season 2
Williams also gave a sneak peek into the second season, which is primarily based on Rachel Reid's sequel novel The Long Game.
He described it as a "sad book," saying, "If season one/book one is the yearning season, book two is external adversity and [relationship] communication problems."
"To be able to play those as Shane, [it's] going to be frustrating and annoying to leave set [when] things are left unsaid, but hopefully it'll make for really good TV."