Sa-Hali Secondary School alumni Hudson Williams made history at this year’s Golden Globes for his performance in the Crave-produced queer-hockey drama, Heated Rivalries. Yet, Williams has faced criticism in the wake of concerns about the show’s possible involvement in queer-baiting, which captures an ongoing, serious issue among the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Specifically, some have asked: Is he an authentic queer actor or simply another straight “ally” trying to make a name for himself? Never has The Omega been more invested in some steamy, queer hockey content.
The series, which has been praised for its intimate portrayal of masculinity and identity within professional hockey culture, has quickly become a hit, with Williams’ performance singled out for its emotional depth and quiet intensity. The show’s premise centres on the tumultuous, often sultry relationship between Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie, Joker: Folie Á Deux), two professional hockey players on opposing teams. Honestly, who doesn’t love a classic enemies-to-lovers trope, especially in a queer setting?
For the Kamloops-born actor, the win marks a major milestone, not just personally, but for Canadian and queer storytelling. Yet, in the heat of such accolades, Williams has been faced with recent allegations by both popular news outlets and by verbose Reddit threads, calling into question whether his acting performance was an authentic portrayal of queerness or if it constitutes another rising star utilizing the gay community for monetization.
Popular magazine USA Today reported in an article prior to the new year that Williams has been especially quiet when probed about his relationship status with an alleged girlfriend. Yet, when prompted to provide closure on the speculation by DeuxMoi via Instagram, he said this in a now-deleted comment: “I’ve grown quite unfond of you, DeuxMoi.” The silence is deafening.
“I want queer people telling queer stories … there’s the element of Connor and I … we’re best friends, and we love expressing that physically,” shared Williams, in an interview discussing both his role and how he thinks about portraying queer characters and interactions on Heated Rivalry.
Both Williams and Storrie have been careful to keep their personal lives private, a choice that some say is valid, while others believe it elicits complicity, irrespective of their rise to stardom. Still, their rise as allies begs the question: Are they gay for pay? Critics argue that while privacy should never be demanded or violated, the continued prioritization of non-queer actors in queer lead roles reflects systemic barriers that limit opportunities for openly queer performers.
“When the series debuted, I was skeptical, like any LGBTQ series that hits the mainstream. With the current anti-DEI state of film and TV, I entered with extra skepticism because Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back as they execute half-baked and performative ‘content’ that they think won’t make the white straight cisgender men in this world uncomfortable,” shared Dino-Ray Ramos, a journalist with the queer magazine Diaspora.
Delivering yet another perspective on what’s become something of a contentious subject, Eli Cugili from DAZED took to the keyboard to criticize queer-actor Jordan Firstman in defence of the rising stars of Heated Rivalry. According to Cugili, Williams and Storrie have been accused of inauthenticity by Firstman for stating their desire to keep their private lives private, prompting Firstman to tell them to “just come out already!”
While Cugili said that Firstman’s comments “[reflect] an understandable frustration about widespread closetedness in Hollywood,” he also highlighted other aspects some critics might not have considered.
“Showrunner [Jacob] Tierney has reiterated that it’s illegal to ask employees about their sexuality,” Cugili said. “Plus, gay representation is a lot more about writing anyway than about matching the actor’s sexuality to the character’s.”
Just as the critics have been divided over the subject of straight actors portraying queer characters, so have users on social media.
“As a gay man that is very much an introvert (like Shane), I don’t think avoiding the topic is always the right thing to do. Sometimes approaching the topic directly, with love and respect, is the right thing to do and can make a world of difference,” shared Reddituser @lukaeber.
Another Reddit user, @citrinedreamers, said, “Personally, I’m glad the showrunner shut this down and is standing up for them. These are two young actors that, until last week, were completely unknown, and their personal lives are theirs to share in their own time.
Anyone who has seen the show can clearly tell the actors have great chemistry and aren’t afraid to ‘go there’ with the intimate scenes.”
Ultimately, Williams’ success is still worth celebrating. As a Kamloops-born actor and Sa-Hali Secondary School alumnus, his Golden Globe win represents a rare and meaningful moment of visibility for local talent on a global stage. Williams has consistently approached his role with care and respect, and his work has helped bring queer storytelling to audiences who might not otherwise engage with it. Regardless of opinion on queer representation, Williams’s allyship and commitment to the story are evident, and his hometown has every reason to be proud.