At a Glance
- Hudson Williams, 24, revealed intimate filming details on The Tonight Show
- Heated Rivalry is based on Rachel Reid’s 2019 LGBTQ+ hockey romance novel
- Athletes have privately shared coming-out stories since the November 2025 premiere
- Why it matters: The show is sparking real conversations about sexuality in professional sports
Hudson Williams just gave fans a raw look at how HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry turns book pages into blistering on-screen chemistry.
What Happens When the Cameras Roll
Williams told Jimmy Fallon he and co-star Connor Storrie walked into the audition clueless about hockey-romance tropes.
> “No, we didn’t even know about hockey smut and romantic – like, we didn’t even know that it existed,”
he laughed, explaining he read Reid’s book while waiting months for the callback.
The actor kept the crew laughing by detailing his “intimacy garment,” aka the modesty sock.
- It’s a flesh-tone pouch held on with a string
- Requires a specific hip motion to secure
- Leaves the entire backside exposed
By the end of filming, Williams joked, the wardrobe team “just gave up” supplying them.
Real-World Impact Beyond the Ice
During the same press circuit, Williams told Andy Cohen that closeted pros have flooded author Rachel Reid with messages.
> “Hockey players, football players, basketball players, yeah… sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through, like, Instagram,”
he said, noting the notes land “right in the nerve.”
Season one wrapped in November 2025, but Crave has already green-lit season two after U.S. viewer numbers soared.
Key Takeaways
- Williams and Storrie discovered the genre only after booking the roles
- On-set intimacy coordinators supervised every vulnerable moment
- Anonymous athletes say the series mirrors their hidden struggles
- Season two is officially in development following breakout success
