After just a few episodes Heated Rivalry has joined the ranks of HBO shows that got the world talking. The steamy book to screen adaptation went viral shortly after its premiere on the network, largely thanks to its many steamy love scenes. These sex scenes definitely helped to generate buzz for the show, although actor Connor Storie got real about how technical those sequences are... especially when hiding the "cock sock" the actors wear. Let's break it all down.
The main story of Heated Rivalry (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) is about the years-long affair between Ilya and Shane. Connor Storie joked about his mom's reaction to those sequences, and in a recent interview with Variety the actor spoke about the show's first sex sene, and how specifically choreographed those sequences have to be. In his words:
I was less exposed than Hudson was, right? I’m fully clothed. I’m bossing him around. He takes his underwear off. What was I thinking? Let me actually think about that. I just remember, for 90% of that scene, the camera is on my face. I, as a person, move a lot, and so it takes me some energy sometimes to chill out and not move. In my mind, I’m like, ‘Don’t move, feed into the sexy tension of it all.’
Storrie's performance as Ilya has been pretty universally acclaimed, with fans shocked that he doesn't have a Russian accent IRL. And it's interesting to hear the process of his he gets into character, and helps to create the sexual tension that's so palpable on screen. It ultimately paid off, especially the payoff once Shane and Ilya finally get physical.
Heated Rivalry is giving queer folks their own smutty show to watch, and there are a ton of steamy sex sequences in every episode. While they look organic, the reality is that these scenes are shot in a very methodical way. On top of finding the right angles and making sure the actors are comfortable, they also need to hide their "cock sock" which is a modesty garment actors use to appear nude while covering their genitals. In the same interview Storrie spoke about this:
Then once we get to the actual sex, to be honest with you, I know it’s not very glamorous, but a lot of those sexual scenes, it’s about making sure that you move in a way that we don’t see our cock socks. It’s literally like, ‘My hand is going to be here. Your leg is going to be here. I’m going to hide myself with this.’ And then it’s a constant game of like, ‘Oh, right. Yep, that’s great.’ ‘No, no. OK, now, we see it.’ ‘Oh, yep, no, no, that’s great. OK, keep going.’ It’s a lot of that.
Despite how many Heated Rivalry viewers are feeling the heat from these scenes, actually filming then is another beast entirely. The above comments offer a peek behind the curtain, and show how inorganic and not sexy love scenes often have to be. I guess as an actor you have to truly trust the process when doing such vulnerable work.
Luckily for fans of the series, Heated Rivalry has officially been renewed for a second season. This will help further adapt the book series, and offer more narrative possibilities for the show's couples. As such, Storrie will probably have to work with that "cock sock" again in the future.
Heated Rivalry airs new episodes Fridays on HBO as part of the 2025 TV schedule. At the time of writing this story there are still two episodes left in Season 1, so it should be interesting to watch as things reach a boiling point.
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