Upside Down With Connor Storrie

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Six feet in the air, suspended by silks in an airy Los Angeles studio, Connor Storrie is embracing the feeling of weightlessness. To the sound of Lola Young, his instructor guides him through aerial poses, flipping him upside down and helping him find his balance. This playful inversion mirrors Storrie’s recent life change: the premiere of the TV series Heated Rivalry at the end of November launched the 25-year-old actor into international recognition. In the show, Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov, a reserved Russian hockey player involved in a passionate affair with his Canadian rival, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), all while competing for dominance in their sport. Adapted from Rachel Reid’s popular Game Changers novels by Jacob Tierney, the series has been praised for its bold, intimate, and refreshing take on romance. Social media has been flooded with GIFs celebrating the chemistry between Storrie and Williams. As Storrie swings through the air in sweatpants and a t-shirt, playfully joking with his instructor about pushing his limits, it’s clear he’s enjoying the ride.

For the past two years, Storrie has been developing his physical comedy skills in Los Angeles’ clowning community, learning from performers like Natalie Palamides and Courtney Pauroso. Pauroso’s work first introduced him to the art form. “Clowning is about testing what the audience responds to,” Storrie explains after a class, showing how simple actions like blowing raspberries or treating someone like a baby can be part of the act. “If they like it, you continue. If they don’t, you have to acknowledge that and react—like, ‘Oh, you don’t enjoy this?'” He demonstrates with an exaggeratedly sad expression. “See? You laughed.” His latest clown character was a birthday party stripper who was hilariously injured. “The character was hit by the party bus she was supposed to perform on.” She desperately tried to undress but couldn’t stop moving in pain. “It’s so over-the-top that it’s impossible not to laugh. It’s about making the audience have fun by showing them I’m not having fun.”

Storrie’s experience with clowning taught him to be fearless, fully dedicated, and to challenge boundaries – skills he used when portraying Ilya in Heated Rivalry. Ilya is often vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. The show explores the relationship between Ilya and Shane, who have trouble expressing their feelings with words, and instead connect through intimate scenes. One early scene, where they first kiss and engage in mutual pleasure, lasts over nine minutes. During filming in Toronto, Storrie and his co-star, Williams, lived next door to each other. He explains, over coffee, that they spent most of their time on set, cooking, exercising, and excitedly discussing their work. He believes their close bond was essential, as they could have easily become frustrated with each other otherwise.

The team carefully planned each intimate scene, detailing every moment and discussing how to keep the emotional arc consistent even though they weren’t filming in chronological order. He explained they adjusted the intensity of scenes – sometimes making a kiss more passionate, other times more restrained – to reflect the characters’ changing feelings. He described a range of moments, from tender and gentle intimacy to scenes of intense physical connection, all carefully considered to tell the story.

Actor Storrie had a happy childhood in Odessa, Texas – the same town depicted in the movie Friday Night Lights. He fondly remembers carefree days playing outdoors with his cousins. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be an actor, which sometimes made him feel different. While he loved The Wizard of Oz, his father introduced him to The Shining, predicting it would become a significant film in cinematic history. Moving to a suburb of Los Angeles in middle school allowed him to pursue auditions more easily. In 2022, he landed a crucial, albeit small, role in Joker: Folie à Deux – playing a prisoner who kills Joaquin Phoenix’s character and is potentially the true Joker. He kept this role a secret from his family for two years. Although the sequel didn’t achieve the same Oscar success as the first Joker film, Storrie has returned to auditioning and performing, blending back into anonymity.

When I first heard about Heated Rivalry, honestly, I had no idea what it was really about! I thought it was just another hockey show set in Canada. But then I found out I was up for the part of Ilya, and I totally dove in. I started skating every day, and once I got the role, I worked with a dialect coach, Kate Yablunovsky, to really nail the Russian in the script. It’s funny, someone even told me at a party that they were bummed I wasn’t actually Russian! I also read the Game Changers books and spent a lot of time getting to know the fans online. Seriously, my social media is now completely taken over by everything Heated Rivalry! I’ve almost convinced myself it’s just for me and the amazing 10,000 people who already love the books.

The large number of intimate scenes in the original books for Heated Rivalry suggested the show would be popular, but the intense fan reaction still shocked everyone involved. Just a day after the first episode aired on HBO Max, a viewer approached one of the stars at the gym early in the morning. The show quickly became a hit, reaching the No. 2 spot on the streaming service and sparking a massive wave of excitement on social media. The books immediately sold out. Fans celebrated when HBO Max and Sky picked up the series for international release after it originally streamed on Crave. Dedicated fan accounts on platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram gained tens of thousands of followers. A video from an HBO Max event shows one of the actors surrounded by fans taking pictures. Even the NHL got in on the fun, using a similar font to the show’s in a Thanksgiving post. The actors admit to playfully emphasizing their on-screen chemistry during interviews and promotional events. As one actor explained, even a joking comment could encourage fans to enthusiastically discuss the show’s more suggestive content.

The web series Heated Rivalry follows a classic enemies-to-lovers story, but it’s become the center of a debate about the actors’ personal lives. Because the characters are secretly in love, and fans have become intensely invested, many are questioning whether the on-screen chemistry is real and if the actors themselves are also keeping their sexuality private. Some believe such a strong connection couldn’t be acted. The show’s creator, Tierney, spoke about this before the show premiered, explaining that it’s illegal to ask actors about their personal lives during casting – a statement that only fueled further speculation.

Storrie points out that the seemingly natural and spontaneous moments viewers are connecting with are actually carefully planned. Just like the intricate hockey sequences, the intimate scenes are fully choreographed for the camera. He admits the attention feels surreal, explaining, “It’s just me and a close friend.” He shares that he’s never experienced this level of public scrutiny before, noting people have seen his most vulnerable moments on screen – including nudity, kissing, and a romantic relationship – and it’s natural for viewers to speculate about his personal life. Because of this intense attention – he’s gained half a million Instagram followers – Storrie feels a responsibility to protect the privacy of himself and those around him who didn’t choose to be in the public eye. He’s grateful to have brought a character to life that resonates with so many people, and believes that connection is more important than his own relationships.

I’m not sure what’s next for Storrie beyond his return for season two of Heated Rivalry, but he suggests checking out The Long Game – the second book in the Game Changers series featuring Shane and Ilya – if you’re curious about the storyline, and it’s actually his personal favorite. Looking ahead career-wise, he’s clearly inspired by Robert Pattinson. Pattinson, who went from teen heartthrob in Twilight to a really respected actor, is someone Storrie hopes to follow in terms of taking big risks with his roles. He admits, and I quote, “Damn, I want to do that!” – he’s clearly impressed by Pattinson’s bold choices and talent.

When he’s not working, Storrie enjoys making industrial electronic music with Ableton, which he describes as a creative outlet, like doodling. It’s a style of music he calls “rhythmic noise” – a more raw, European sound popular in the 90s, different from mainstream EDM. He used to sneak into underground raves in L.A. as a teenager and still loves music that’s loud and experimental. While he’ll occasionally see a movie – he saw Weapons three times in theaters – Storrie prefers to focus on his own projects. “I’m either making music or working on my clowning,” he says, “I need to be creating something.”

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2025-12-22 15:55