The Heated Rivalry Effect Isn’t Cooling Down Anytime Soon
Season 1 of Heated Rivalry may have reached its finale, but the internet’s fixation on its breakout stars is only intensifying.
At the center of the moment is Connor Storrie, 25, who plays Russian hockey heartthrob Ilya Rozanov in the Canadian-made queer romance. Over the past week, a handful of high-profile interviews paired with one perfectly chosen Madonna track have turned Storrie into the latest object of collective online adoration.
If Heated Rivalry introduced him to a wider audience, Storrie’s post-finale press run has solidified his status as someone the internet isn’t ready to let go of just yet.
#HeatedRivalry star Connor Storrie reacts to his YouTube videos going viral from when he was 12 years old: “I love that little guy. I love him. I used to not like him."
— Variety (@Variety) December 26, 2025
“I was this artist, sissy boy in West Texas that didn’t want to play football. I wanted to play pretend and… pic.twitter.com/42RKrTr8kn
From Actorboy222 to Leading Man
As previously reported, Storrie’s rise has been accompanied by a resurfacing of his earliest creative output. Long before prestige interviews and viral moments, a 12-year-old Connor Storrie was posting homemade videos on YouTube under the username @Actorboy222, speaking earnestly about his dream of becoming an actor.
At the time, those videos didn’t feel aspirational they felt risky.
Storrie has been candid about how the clips led to teasing and mockery during his teenage years. For a long time, he considered deleting them altogether. Instead, he left them online, where they now read less like cringe artifacts and more like a time capsule of ambition.
Speaking to GQ, Storrie reflected:
“It’s so cool to be at a different place in my life and be like, f*ck yeah. That is me. That is 12-year-old me trying something. I think it’s charming and cute.”
For many queer viewers, that reframing hits close to home.
Reclaiming the ‘Sissy Boy’ Narrative
In a separate interview with Variety, Storrie went even deeper, speaking openly about the distance he’s traveled emotionally and geographically from his West Texas upbringing.
“I love that little guy. I love him. I used to not like him.”
He continued:
“I was this artist, sissy boy in West Texas that didn’t want to play football. I wanted to play pretend and play dress up and disappear into weird worlds and entertain and try to connect with people that way, and that was just not the norm out there.”
The word “sissy”, long weaponized against queer and gender-nonconforming boys, immediately caught attention online. While Storrie has avoided publicly defining his sexuality as has Heated Rivalry co-star Hudson Williams many viewers recognized the power in reclaiming language that once caused harm.
Rather than sparking controversy, the moment largely resonated as one of vulnerability and self-acceptance.
Enter Madonna: A Cultural Shortcut to the Gays’ Hearts
Then came Interview Magazine and with it, the clip that pushed the internet fully over the edge.
A behind-the-scenes video of Storrie lip-syncing to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” began circulating across social media, instantly striking a chord. The choice of song, the ease of his performance, and the sheer joy radiating from the moment sent fans into collective rapture.
To be clear: miming Madonna does not define a person’s sexuality. And many were quick to say as much.
Still, that didn’t stop speculation or enthusiasm.
Because in queer pop culture, Like A Prayer isn’t just a song. It’s a ritual.
Joy, Not Labels
While some corners of the internet predictably tried to read the clip as a declaration, most responses were refreshingly grounded. The dominant reaction wasn’t “what does this mean?” it was “good for him.”
Several viewers compared Storrie’s presence in the clip to a young Patrick Swayze, noting the same relaxed confidence and physical storytelling.
One standout comment on Interview’s Instagram feed read:
“Connor and Hudson are the first celebs in a long time that I’m genuinely so happy for their current and future success because they both come from humble beginnings and worked so hard to get this kind of spotlight.”
That comment alone earned over 29,000 likes.
Another fan summed it up more simply:
“Heated Rivalry x Madonna was something I really needed.”
Honestly? Same.
Why This Moment Works
There’s something uniquely satisfying about watching someone who once felt embarrassed by their earnestness now embrace it fully especially when that embrace includes Madonna, vulnerability, and zero apology.
Connor Storrie isn’t performing for approval here. He’s just having fun. And in a media landscape often obsessed with labels, that freedom feels quietly radical.
Whether you came for Heated Rivalry, stayed for the interviews, or lost your mind over a perfectly timed Madonna lip-sync, one thing is clear: this moment belongs to him and the internet is happy to witness it.