Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams’ off-screen bond keeps drawing attention

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have gone from relative unknowns to two of the most talked-about new faces in entertainment after Heated Rivalry became an unexpected hit.

The Canadian gay hockey series, which was made for pennies, pushed the actors into a level of attention that can be difficult for any rising star to manage. Fan interest has centered not only on the show, but on the apparent warmth between the two performers, who are now widely dubbed “HudCon.”

That attention has also fueled speculation about their relationship in real life. Williams has a long-term girlfriend, and neither actor has come out as queer. The public record, including their own comments, points instead to a close friendship built through work and the experience of sudden fame.

“Hudson is my best friend,” Storrie told W Magazine in December. He added that making the series and seeing it succeed is “10 times sweeter” because he has shared it with Williams.

Williams has made a similar point about wanting to keep the friendship from becoming part of the show’s spectacle. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine, he said he and Storrie are “aligned” and want different careers rather than becoming a packaged duo.

“We want to be different artists. We don’t want to be the Olsen twins.”

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Their bond has been visible in interviews, on-set photos and videos, and a series of public moments that fans have tracked closely. Those included a hike photo, a video of them hugging while filming, and a wrestling clip that viewers read as a preview of the chemistry that would later appear on screen.

After filming the first season, Storrie and Williams also got matching “sex sells” tattoos. Storrie told People that the phrase felt “kind of like a tongue-in-cheek, kind of winky view” of being involved in the show.

Williams has also addressed how some people interpret physical affection between friends. On Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show Radio Andy, he said he would continue to show affection openly, especially toward Storrie, whom he said he loves dearly.

As their profile rose, the pair kept turning up together at major industry events. They presented an award at their first-ever Golden Globes, then reunited at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party after Williams attended the 2026 Academy Awards on his own. Later, they were photographed at the 2026 Met Gala, where paparazzi followed them through the night.

Storrie’s run of high-profile appearances also included hosting Saturday Night Live, where Williams joined him for an ice-skating sketch and embraced him at the end of the show. When Storrie later received an Emmy nomination for that hosting turn, Williams reacted with visible enthusiasm while signing autographs.

For now, the pair appear intent on balancing visibility with privacy. Their friendship has become part of the public fascination around Heated Rivalry, but both actors have signaled that they do not want that relationship defined entirely by fan theories or publicity.