Hudson Williams told fans he’s still trying to make sense of the whirlwind ride “Heated Rivalry” has taken him on over the past year and the strange problem of being at the centre of a global phenomenon.
asserted
he → tell → phenomenon
The Kamloops, B.C.-raised actor, who plays Shane Hollander on Crave’s hit gay hockey romance, took part in a fireside chat at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday where he said he’s struggled to return to the character for its second season, now in production, partly because the show has taken on a life of its own.
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show → play → own
“It’s weird that our memory of playing Season 1 isn’t just our true memory of showing up and doing the scenes — it’s having watched them cut together, it’s fan reactions,” he said during the chat at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
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he → ’ → Theatre
“Our memory isn’t ours, it’s everyone’s.
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it → ’ → ?
It has been abstracted and twisted and it has become this weird amalgamation of a memory.”
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it → abstract → memory
Williams said returning to the “Heated Rivalry” set wasn't easy.
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returning → say → set
He worried that he was doing an impression of his character, and he says his co-star Connor Storrie felt the same.
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Storrie → worry → character
“It came back, thankfully,” he added.
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he → come → ?
He talked about his upbringing, his creative influences and his career goals, and briefly tipped to shooting the second season.
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He → talk → season
But the conversation repeatedly came back to just how unreal it’s been to suddenly find himself at the centre of the breakout success of Jacob Tierney’s TV series, in which Williams and Storrie play rival hockey stars who become secret lovers.
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who → come → stars
“I always picture a little rocket ship — a little Tierney rocket ship — that Connor and I just clung on,” he said of the Canadian show’s popularity since it debuted 10 months ago.
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it → picture → popularity
“It’s so surreal.
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It → ’ → ?
It simultaneously feels like three days ago and five years ago.”
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It → feel → ?
The Toronto International Film Festival begins Sept. 10.
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Festival → begin → ?
Its CEO discusses the state of the
Williams returned to those sentiments throughout “Making Waves With ... Hudson Williams,” an 80-minute conversation moderated by TIFF programmer Keith Bennie that repeatedly touched on Canada and the country’s homegrown productions.
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that → discuss → Canada
It was part of a day packed with Williams, who appeared later that night at the red carpet premiere of “Yaga,” a new Crave murder-mystery series in which he appears alongside Carrie-Anne Moss and “Schitt’s Creek” star Noah Reid.
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he → pack → Moss
At one point, Bennie asked Williams outright to describe what it is to be Canadian.
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it → ask → Williams
“American with manners,” he responded, without hesitation.
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he → respond → hesitation
“I always remember people being curious to why a lot of good comedians come out of Canada — Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Martin Short — all these people.
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Myers → remember → Canada
And I think it’s our really weird neighbours.
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it → think → ?
It’s like, you’re the person at the cookout, and there’s your weird uncle who’s just like saying s—t.”
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who → ’ → —
He cited works by U.S. directors David Lynch and John Cassavetes as some of his earliest influences.
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He → cite → influences
Their films were given to him by his parents when he was only eight years old, he said, part of an admittedly age-inappropriate collection of classic cinema they loaded onto a hard drive.
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they → give → drive
Williams also repeatedly cited the late Heath Ledger as one of Hollywood’s greats, someone whose skills he aspires to emulate, and a performer whose real self got lost in every character.
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self → cite → character
“The more I looked for him, the less I could see of him,” he said of Ledger’s roles.
uncertain
he → look → roles
The Royal Alex was packed with more than 1,200 enthusiastic yet attentive Williams fans, many of whom lined up hours before the mid-afternoon event.
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many → pack → event
Williams draws big crowds outside
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Williams → draw → crowds
Shortly before it started, hundreds of people were gathered on King Street West, clutching their phones in hopes of catching a glimpse of the actor’s arrival.
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hundreds → start → arrival
Lee Daram had been waiting since 5 a.m. to get a good vantage point.
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Daram → wait → point
She flew in from Seoul, South Korea, specifically to see Williams in person.
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She → fly → person
Standing with her friends, she hoped to pass along a gift she had made for him: a tiny replica of Williams in his dashing suit from the Canadian Screen Awards.
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she → stand → Awards
“I think his CSA award (win) is an important moment to him,” she said.
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she → think → him
“So I wanted to give him something special.”
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I → want → something
A few seconds later, Williams jumped out of a black car dressed in a Balenciaga T-shirt and the Bulgari snake necklace he wore to the Golden Globes.
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he → jump → Globes
He quickly moved toward the wall of screaming fans, signing autographs and snapping selfies.
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He → move → selfies
Daram handed him her gift, but had little chance to explain its significance amid the chaos.
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Daram → hand → chaos
He clutched it in his hands, along with other gifts, bowed and thanked the group in Korean.
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He → clutch → Korean
Williams reflects on his influences
Inside the venue, Williams was greeted by more screams as he settled onto a sofa for the conversation.
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he → reflect → conversation
When he crossed his legs, the crowd erupted again at the sight of his red-soled Louboutins.
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crowd → cross → Louboutins
Williams kept the conversation light, playing along when Bennie pulled out a clip of “Dogging,” his 2025 documentary-style comedy short about people who pretend to be dogs in exchange for cash to pay their rent.
“I’m not sure any of us making that (film) thought it would play at TIFF in any sort of capacity,” he said.
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he → keep → capacity
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
