TORONTO – When Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie logged into a Zoom room for their first chemistry read, casting directors Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay felt it instantly.
Even through a screen, the spark was undeniable. “Heated Rivalry” had found its hockey heartthrobs: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
“They were so comfortable with each other. It was a real connection,” says Lewis, noting that series creator Jacob Tierney helped set an easygoing tone on the call
“They were relaxed, joking when they weren’t in scene. There was an instant camaraderie between the two — even though they hadn’t met in person at that point.”
The rest is Canadian TV history. Crave’s sultry gay hockey drama has since become a global cultural force, turning its leads into overnight Hollywood darlings — popping up everywhere from late-night talk shows to fashion weeks, and, for Storrie, hosting “Saturday Night Live” later this month.
For Lewis and Kay, watching that ascent comes with a particular pride: they saw it first.
With the Oscars debuting an achievement in casting category this year, the Toronto-based duo is glad their profession is finally getting recognition.
“It’s really challenging when you have discovered some person who’s come out of nowhere, and you’re the one who brought them to the director and then they become really famous,” says Kay.
“We kind of get forgotten in that process.”
Lewis and Kay have spent two decades in casting, with credits including FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” and Crave’s “Letterkenny,” which Tierney starred in and executive produced.
They also cast the upcoming Canadian-Irish horror film “Whistle,” out Friday, starring Dafne Keen and “Heated Rivalry”’s Sophie Nélisse. While they’d love to take credit for casting Nélisse in the show, they say Tierney already had her in mind.
When “Heated Rivalry” first crossed their desks, the duo admits they were daunted. Casting strapping young men who could skate convincingly, handle emotionally intimate material and bring cultural specificity — including Russian dialogue for Ilya — was no small task.
“We were a little intimidated, not about the content but the specificity of the roles,” says Lewis about casting the roles based on Rachel Reid’s romance novel series.
A WORLDWIDE TALENT SEARCH
They conducted an expansive international search for Shane and Ilya — spanning Canada, the United States and Europe — with hundreds of audition tapes submitted through professional casting services.
Lewis says they zeroed in on Ilya first, after Storrie’s audition — which saw him submit a shirtless self-tape — made an impression.
“He did have his shirt off in one of his takes,” she says.
“It was in a scene where it was appropriate, where most of the actors chose to take their shirt off. I will say we do not ask for that.”
But it was Storrie’s acting — the way he embodied Ilya’s cocky, brash demeanour — that caught their attention.
“I definitely called out to Sara right away, like, ‘You’ve got to come watch this,’” says Lewis.
The Colorado-born, Los Angeles-based Storrie learned Russian and developed an accent for the role. Lewis says they initially hoped to cast an actual native speaker.
“We were very cognizant this might be an issue, that people who are Russian and maybe want to return home someday might be in trouble if they participated in a show like ‘Heated Rivalry,’” she says, noting Russia’s severe anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
For Hudson, the duo says finding an actor who is half-Asian was imperative, and that Williams brought a “depth of emotion” to the character’s clean-cut, reserved exterior that stood out.
In their first chemistry read, Storrie and Williams captured the characters’ cat-and-mouse tension immediately.
“That dynamic you see at the very beginning, where Shane can’t quite keep up with Ilya — that emotional tag they’re playing was definitely there,” says Lewis.
Ultimately, she adds, it was the pair’s “generosity” towards one another that stood out.
“Sometimes with group auditions, not everybody is willing to give… But (Storrie and Williams) really were there for each other and you could feel that watching. As actors, they were really giving to each other,” she says.
“It felt like they felt safe with each other, even in that initial stage of doing Zoom. I think that has come across in their dynamic when we watch them on social media.”
CASTING MUSICAL CHAIRS
Actor Robbie G.K., who plays barista Kip Grady in “Heated Rivalry,” initially auditioned for Scott Hunter, say Lewis and Kay.
Having worked with him before, they decided to see if he could play the closeted veteran forward.
“We said, ‘Let’s try him for Scott and see if that fits. As we all know, that wasn’t the fit,” says Lewis.
It turned out he was better suited to play Scott’s love interest.
“When we got onto the Kip part, it was like, ‘Oh, we should consider Robbie for this part. He’s a better fit, I think, creatively.’”
The duo notes they will often try an actor for several different parts. Kayden Connors, who plays Ilya’s former lover Sasha in the Crave series, initially auditioned for Ilya.
Casting for Season 2 hasn’t begun yet, as they are waiting for Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady to finalize the scripts.
“They know we are fully waiting to get started.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2026.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Sara Kay’s first name.
