When Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney told media that he wanted to “traffic in queer joy”, he probably didn’t expect his two leads to go full method during press week. From the moment Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) hit their first junket sofa, fans clocked something special: that elusive mix of genuine affection, chaos energy and unfiltered sincerity that usually only survives for about five seconds before a publicist kills it.
Through all the interviews, clip reels and viral skincare routines, the boys stayed tactile, warm and relentlessly off-script. “For me, it doesn’t feel spicy at all,” Storrie told Vulture. “Like, that’s me and my best friend.”
Cue the collective swoon.
By this point, the Heated Rivalry promo trail has practically become its own spinoff. We’ve had the matching “sex sells” tattoos (yes, really), joint sleepovers (“We just love each other very dearly,” Williams told Variety), and enough cuddly red carpet content to power 475726 fan edits.
“We were like, ‘Oh, my God, if people saw us just getting ready in the morning, giving each other big spooning hugs, just to say we’re proud of each other,’ people would be going crazy,” Williams told Variety. “If only one fan had access, God forbid. But yeah, we just love each other very dearly.”
It’s the most chaotic, horny, and downright wholesome press run we’ve seen in years, so we’re curating every delicious moment of it. You’re welcome.
1. Hudson Williams Shares His ‘Five-Step’ Skincare Tutorial That’s Somehow 20 Minutes Long
Why have I watched this 20-minute routine for eight straight hours?
2. Connor Storrie Dances To Madonna’s Like A Prayer For Interview Mag
Connor Storrie knows what the people want, and it’s this. What can we say, the people are horny.
3. Hudson Williams Teaches Jimmy Fallon How To Do A Hockey Stretch
As fans of Heated Rivalry will know (and, presumably, actual ice hockey fans), there’s a certain stretch players do that is the horniest thing in male sports since the “scrum” was invented. It involves getting down on one’s knees, spreading one’s legs, and thrusting. (And people WONDER why ice hockey was prime material for gay smut?!)
In an instantly iconic appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hudson taught Jimmy how to do said stretch. “This is basically 90 percent of where I was for filming,” he said. (Behind-the-scenes documentary when?)
In the same interview, Hudson called intimacy garments (the things actors wear so as not to touch genitals when filming sex scenes) “cock socks”, recreated Heated Rivalry‘s dance club scene, and said hi to his mum. It’s interviews like this that’ll save late night television, honestly.
4. Hudson and Connor reveal their matching ‘sex sells’ tattoos
Connor’s tattoo is on his shin, while Hudson’s is on his upper thigh.
“We settled on ‘sex sells’ because I think it was just kind of like a tongue-in-cheek, kind of winky view of being a part of something like this,” Connor said, in an interview shared by HBO Max.
“There’s sex that is selling and it’s a very sort of alluring factor,” added Williams, “but we believe it’s sort of the worth and the merit beyond that.”
5. Hudson and Connor reveal their sleepovers and morning spoons
Yes, they really are as close as they seem. When Hudson had to fly to LA for Heated Rivalry press appearances, he stayed with Connor.
“We were like, ‘Oh, my God, if people saw us just getting ready in the morning, giving each other big spooning hugs, just to say we’re proud of each other,’ people would be going crazy,” Hudson told Variety. “If only one fan had access, God forbid. But yeah, we just love each other very dearly.”
6. Hudson goes to war with Deuxmoi
It’s only natural that people would be intensely curious as to who Hudson and Connor are dating in real life. However, when gossip queen Deuxmoi spoke about Connor’s “secret girlfriend”, he clapped back.
“You know what,” Hudson reportedly wrote under an Instagram clip of the podcast moment that has since been deleted, “I’ve grown quite unfond of you Deuxmoi.”
7. But he buries the hatchet with Jordan Firstman
Of course, no media moment goes unrumbled. After I Love LA’s Jordan Firstman declared the show’s sex scenes “not gay enough” during his own HBO Max press stop, Heated Rivalry’s cast had to play diplomat. François Arnaud clapped back on Instagram: “Is there only one way to have ‘authentic’ gay sex on TV?”
Williams chose the Switzerland route — reposting a selfie with Firstman days later and wishing him well. Damage controlled. Crisis averted.
Maybe it’s just that in a moment where celebrity feels so manicured, watching two young, nervous actors stumble joyfully through overnight fame feels oddly healing. They’re tender without being performative. They talk about intimacy like adults. They seem to like the thing they made.
Everyone say thank you Heated Rivalry!! We’ll be rewatching non-stop until season two drops.
Lead image: Instagram / YouTube
The post 7 Chaotic, Horny & Downright Wholesome Moments From The Heated Rivalry Press Tour appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
