Heated Rivalry star François Arnaud discussed feeling "proud" of his character, Scott Hunter, and argued that the success of the Crave/HBO Max series can be attributed to more than just "the butts" of Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) and Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) prominently featured in the first episode.
"I'm proud of Scott, my character, for doing what he does at the end of episode 5," Arnaud explained in an interview with The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM Hits 1. "I think it's just so epic to watch that happen, like, on the jumbotron. And, you know, it felt like I was watching it happen to a real hockey player in a real hockey game. That was crazy."
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When asked by The Morning Mash Up cohosts Nicole Ryan, Stanley T., and Ryan Sampson why he thinks Heated Rivalry became such a massive success so quickly — and was pointedly asked if he thinks it was all because of "the butts" — Arnaud shared another perspective.
François Arnaud as Scott Hunter on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 3.HBO Max/Crave Canada
"I really don't think it's the butts. I think maybe it was the butts at first," the Heated Rivalry actor replied. "But I think it's … seeing men being emotionally vulnerable, which we just don't get to see very often. And I think all the characters are vulnerable in different ways."
Arnaud concluded, "I think our storyline kind of complements the main storyline in that way, too. And to see people who are just tired of pretending and want to be truthful to who they are."
Watch a clip of François Arnaud on The Morning Mash Up below. The full interview is scheduled for a release on Thursday, January 15 on SiriusXM Hits 1.
