Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov, the cocky and intimidating captain of the Boston Raiders, in the steamy Canadian sports drama. His character’s explosive chemistry with rival team captain Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, has helped turn the series into a global hit. What begins as icy rivalry between the Boston Raiders and Montreal Metros quickly transforms into a secret, emotionally charged love affair — and audiences can’t get enough.
The show’s popularity has catapulted both actors from relative obscurity into sudden stardom, something Storrie is still clearly processing.
That reality hit home during a recent appearance on the Shut Up Evan podcast. Mid-interview, host Evan Ross Katz dropped a surprise that left Storrie visibly stunned.
“I want to bring in the fantastically talented Andrew Scott, who has a question for you,” Katz announced.
Storrie’s response was instant and unfiltered: “What the f---?”
In a pre-recorded message, Andrew Scott congratulated Storrie on the show’s success and asked who he admired as an actor, whether he planned to do theater, and where he saw his career going next.
Storrie could barely believe it. “Oh my God,” he said after a long pause. “That’s crazy. That’s actually really crazy. I love him.”
The moment became even more surreal when Storrie revealed he had crossed paths with Scott before — without ever speaking to him. He explained that he used to work out at Equinox in West Hollywood and would see Scott regularly but never worked up the nerve to say hello.
When it came time to answer Scott’s question, Storrie shared that his inspirations skew classic rather than contemporary. “I was always into the Buster Keaton sort of thing,” he said, citing old-school, vaudevillian-style performers as early influences.
Still, the shock lingered. “I still cannot believe that that happened,” Storrie admitted. “That that man knows who I am. That’s crazy.”
Since Heated Rivalry debuted in late November, both Storrie and Williams have been openly reacting to their sudden fame. In a December interview with Entertainment Weekly, Storrie recalled reading unexpected — and very personal — reactions online.
“I think I saw someone say that I am ‘America’s ass,’ which I was not expecting at all,” he said, laughing. “But yeah, I love it. I’ll take it.”
On the podcast, he expanded on the reaction, noting that he expected conversation around the show’s intimate scenes — just not quite this specific. “I didn’t think people would take pictures of my butt and GIF-ify it,” he said.
The season one finale of Heated Rivalry airs December 26 on Crave, with the series also available via HBO Max. For Storrie, it marks not just the end of a breakout season — but the start of a career that now includes admiration from the very idols who inspired him to act in the first place.
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