Over the past few years, there's been conversation in the entertainment world about the power of LGBTQ+ representation. There's yet another HBO show that's gotten the world talking with Heated Rivalry, which is a steamy book to screen adaptation about two rival hockey players who begin a sexual relationship. And the show's creator recently spoke out about ongoing discourse related to the actors' real-life sexuality.
Those with an HBO Max subscription have bene treated to the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry, which contains a number of NSFW sex scenes. There's been some debate about having queer actors play LGBTQ+ actors, and during an interview with Xtra, creator/writer/director Jacob Tierney addressed the speculation about the sexuality of his two stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. In his words:
I’ll answer this for them. I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff. I’ll tell you something about the casting of both of these roles. You can’t ask questions like that when you’re casting, right? It’s actually against the law. So what you have to gauge is somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work. And that’s what’s so impressive about both of these guys is they came into this being like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic and to be as real as possible.’ And they fucking hit it out of the park.
That's a solid perspective to contribute to the ongoing debate about which actors are playing leading LGBTQ+ roles. From Tierney's perspective, he doesn't feel comfortable asking actors their sexuality in the midst of the casting process. Instead, he wants the best performer possible, and one willing to take on this specific material (including its many love scenes and nudity).
Indeed, Williams and Storrie have had to be very intimate throughout the Heated Rivalry, and there's only been two episodes out yet on HBO Max. Their love scenes included a number of intimate acts, and I have to assume that an intimacy coordinator was involved to help everyone feel comfortable.
Soon after Heated Rivalry premiered on HBO Max, the show's love scenes started going viral on social media. This is partly thanks to their intensity, which fit right in with HBO shows like The White Lotus, Game of Thrones, or True Blood. This time these sequences are between two men, which is why the discourse about the show's stars has begun.
The debate about who should play leading queer characters is a complicated one, partly because there so few of these stories told. As such, some folks believe they should be played by LGBTQ+ actors, who can bring a sense of realism to their roles. For instance, Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese took umbrage with Brendan Fraser's role in The Whale, as he is both straight and not an actor of size.
Heated Rivalry airs new episodes on HBO Max as part of the 2025 TV schedule. We'll just have to see how it continues to go viral as the show goes on.
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