Connor Storrie Explores Directing, Writing & Future Roles After Heated Rivalry Success

3 days ago 11

Connor Storrie As Ilya Rozanov Sitting Down And Holding Up His Phone in Heated Rivalry Episode 5

Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.

After Heated Rivalry became a huge success on HBO Max, star Connor Storrie has been fielding offers for several projects, and he's now teasing what fans can expect from him in the future. Heated Rivalry season 1, which centers on a secret romance between two rival hockey players, recently ended, with the series becoming one of the most talked-about shows.

While a second season of Heated Rivalry will be released eventually, Storrie has other projects he'll be working on as well. While speaking with THR, the actor revealed that he plans to explore directing and writing in addition to acting. In fact, he's currently working on an indie "Sean Baker-esque" movie that he's filming on an iPhone.

"A big part of my career and what I want to do right now with the show is I write and direct myself. I’m in the middle of doing an iPhone feature, this super indie kind of Sean Baker-esque film because I’m making it on an iPhone. I just want to develop as a filmmaker, too, alongside Heated Rivalry. I consider myself somewhat of a character actor in the sense that I really like to transform, as seen on the show. I want to be able to do that again too, see what that’s all about."

His schedule at the moment involves filming his movie, then going home to get ready for meetings and all the high-profile events he's been invited to as a result of Heated Rivalry.

One of those events is the upcoming Golden Globes, during which he and co-star Hudson Williams will present one of the categories; the actor admitted he's "excited" about stepping into that room alongside so many huge stars.

"I’ve said this before, I don’t really have the time to process it, and that’s true. We were doing things every single day from Nov. 19 until Dec. 20. I had a little break for the holidays. To be honest with you, I just really try to center myself on the creative projects that I’m actively writing. I’m doing this iPhone feature that I’ve also been trying to tackle on top of doing all of this. I have a few events in the next few nights and the days leading up, from like 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., so I’m shooting my movie, going home, getting ready and then going to whatever meetings or events I have. Having something active to do is what makes it doable."

Storrie's agents have been discussing several opportunities with him that are "cool and bold and swing big."

Aside from wanting to work with the best actors in the industry, he's also "very big on vibes," so a lot of it comes down to what his gut instinct is telling him and seeing if he's on the "same creative wavelength" as the filmmakers he's meeting with.

"They’re bringing me a bunch of cool opportunities that I can’t even believe I’m having. I’m just trying to do things that are cool and bold and swing big. I’m just talking to people and feeling it out. I’m very big on vibes too, because I think that even though you want to work with the best of the best or have parts that are ideally really cool, at the end of the day, it comes down to vibe. It’s really about meeting people and seeing if you’re on the same creative wavelength. That’s why I think something like Heated Rivalry did what it did. Me and Hudson before this weren’t even nothing, but we just had such a good rapport with each other and Jacob."

As amazing as the Heated Rivalry success has been, the downside is that Storrie hasn't had many opportunities to read the scripts that are being sent his way for future projects.

However, with a lot of plane trips coming up soon, he plans to spend a lot of that time settling down and reading scripts since he "can't really sleep on planes."

"I don’t really have time, to be honest. I have a lot of plane time coming up. I’m probably going to [then]. I can’t really sleep on planes."

When he does get the chance to read through the scripts and offers, Storrie does have a particular role in mind. While speaking with Ricky Cornish recently, he said he wants to be cast in a "Shane Hollander type of role," which is Williams' character on Heated Rivalry. He also wants to play Cate Blanchett's son in a film.

Fans have compared Storrie and Williams to Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, respectively, so the two actors could star in a remake of the 1991 film Point Break, which is being turned into a TV show.

When it comes to negotiating his return to Heated Rivalry (reports indicate it's a multi-season deal) and securing roles in other projects, Storrie relies on his lawyer and business manager to sort through the legal and financial aspects of the job so he can focus on what he loves doing best.

"I'm happy I get to make money doing what I want to do, and I'm just happy that I'm not waiting tables anymore," he admitted to THR.

"To be honest, I have a lawyer and a business manager now, so I have someone who kind of gets to do the deals for me. I’m surviving. I’m happy. I’m happy I get to make money doing what I want to do and I’m just happy that I’m not waiting tables anymore. That’s all I’ll say, money-wise."

Before Heated Rivalry, Storrie's most prominent role came via Joker: Folie à Deux as an inmate who essentially transforms into the Joker by the end of the movie.

While Todd Phillips' second Joker film underperformed at the box office and received poor reviews, the door has been left open for Storrie to play the villain someday if the opportunity arises. And with Williams wanting to play Nightwing in a DC project, the two Heated Rivalry stars could find themselves on the big screen together someday.

No matter what roles Storrie accepts in the future, he's grateful for the chance to dive into a career he loves and work on projects that fulfill his creative side. One of those projects will be Heated Rivalry season 2, which can't come soon enough, but fans are surely anticipating when that day arrives.