‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Hudson Williams Says Queer Representation Is “Overwhelming” Responsibility

Canadian actor Hudson Williams has opened up about the intense responsibility he feels bringing a gay professional hockey player to life in the queer hockey drama series "Heated Rivalry", which streams on Crave and HBO Max.

In the series, Williams plays Shane Hollander, a star player whose on‑ice rivalry with another hockey pro turns into a passionate secret romance as both men keep their sexualities private from teammates, fans, and the media.

Speaking on CNN’s News Central, Williams described the pressure of portraying a queer athlete in a sport that has long struggled with LGBTQ+ visibility. He said the responsibility to represent gay and broader LGBTQ+ communities on screen could feel “overwhelming” at times, particularly given how few openly queer players exist in elite men’s professional hockey.

Williams told interviewers that he focused on making Shane a specific, fully realized person rather than trying to stand in for every LGBTQ+ experience. He explained that he worked closely with series creator Jacob Tierney, who adapted the show from a queer hockey romance novel, to ground the character in precise emotional details instead of attempting to speak for all gay, bisexual, or transgender people.

Williams said he and Tierney spent time discussing how Shane’s sexuality, competitive drive, and fear of public scrutiny intersect as he navigates both a high‑stakes career and a secret relationship. He emphasized that “specificity” in performance felt more responsible than trying to capture every dimension of LGBTQ+ life, which he suggested would be too large a task for any one character or actor.

The show also features Harrison Browne, widely recognized as the first openly transgender player in a professional North American hockey league, in a cameo role. During his CNN appearance, Williams was asked whether he had spoken with Browne about representation in hockey while preparing for the role. He said that while they interacted on set, he only later fully understood Browne’s significance to transgender athletes and the broader LGBTQ+ sports community.

Browne’s presence in "Heated Rivalry" has been highlighted by LGBTQ+ sports advocates as an example of how scripted series can bring real‑world queer and transgender trailblazers into popular culture narratives. His cameo also underscores how rare it still is to see transgender athletes portrayed positively on screen and consulted in storytelling about professional sports.

"Heated Rivalry" has quickly become one of the most talked‑about series of its season, with strong audience engagement on social media platforms and positive coverage from LGBTQ+ outlets for its mix of sports drama and queer romance. The show has been renewed for a second season, reflecting both its commercial success and the appetite for stories centering queer love in traditionally hyper‑masculine spaces like professional hockey.

For many LGBTQ+ viewers, the series arrives at a time when public debates about transgender participation in sports and the visibility of queer athletes remain highly polarized. Advocates note that seeing a gay relationship at the center of a mainstream sports drama, accompanied by the inclusion of a transgender athlete like Browne, offers affirming counter‑narratives to exclusionary policies and rhetoric.

Williams’ comments about the “overwhelming” nature of LGBTQ+ representation reflect a broader dynamic facing many performers who take on queer roles, particularly when they are among the first to do so in a given genre or setting. By centering character specificity while acknowledging the weight of community expectations, his approach illustrates how actors and creators are negotiating responsibility, authenticity, and visibility in contemporary queer storytelling.