Connor Storrie (as Ilya Rozanov) and Hudson Williams (as Shane Hollander) are not only the two lead actors of Heated Rivalry, but also the indisputable breakout stars of the series — which, one should note, isn't always the case for both leads of a new queer TV show.
The first two episodes of the Crave original series, which is streaming for U.S. audiences on HBO Max, established Storrie and Williams as fan-favorites for the incredibly lived-in performances they're delivering, the endearing and lovable characters they are playing, and, yes, also for being two incredibly good-looking men who show a lot of skin in quite a few sex scenes.
For context, Storrie and Williams each had around 10,000 followers on their respective Instagram profiles when Crave dropped the first official trailer for Heated Rivalry on October 9 — a data point recorded by Out prior to the trailer's release.
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When a sneak preview of the series was shared — featuring a scene of Ilya and Shane working out together at a gym and feeling some sexual tension between them for the first time — on November 21, Storrie had crossed 30,000 followers on Instagram, and Williams had reached 25,000 followers on his profile.
Let's break down how much the actors have grown their reach via Instagram in just a few days.
Connor Storrie gained 84k followers since Heated Rivalry's premiere.
Connor Storrie's daily growth in Instagram followers between November 24 and December 1, 2025; Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in official poster for Heated Rivalry.SocialBlade; HBO Max/Crave Canada
Storrie's Instagram profile registered 44,000 followers on Thursday, November 27, one day before the Heated Rivalry premiere on HBO Max and Crave. The actor then had three consecutive days of jaw-dropping growth on Instagram:
- Saturday (11/29): nearly 15,000 new followers
- Sunday (11/30): 34,000 new followers
- Monday (12/01): 23,000 new followers
Connor Storrie's Instagram profile bio.
Connor Storrie via Instagram.Instagram (@connorstorrieofficial)
Starring as the cocky and irresistible Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry, Storrie has amassed an audience of 128,000 followers on Instagram as of this writing.
Given that Storrie was also around the 10,000 mark prior to the Heated Rivalry trailer drop, it's quite remarkable that he is now reaching 128,000 people on his Instagram profile.
Hudson Williams gained 87k followers since Heated Rivalry's premiere.
Hudson Williams's daily growth in Instagram followers between November 24 and December 1, 2025; Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in official poster for Heated Rivalry.SocialBlade; HBO Max/Crave Canada
Much like his Heated Rivalry costar, Williams had a recorded 39,000 followers on Thursday, November 27 — the day before the TV series was released for streaming on HBO Max and Crave. The actor also went on to have three consecutive days of intense growth on Instagram:
- Saturday (11/29): 15,000 new followers
- Sunday (11/30): nearly 36,000 new followers
- Monday (12/01): 23,000 new followers
Hudson Williams's Instagram profile bio.
Hudson Williams via Instagram.Instagram (@hudsonwilliamsofficial)
Williams, who plays the lovable Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry, has a total of 126,000 followers as of this writing.
To recap: The Canadian actor went from having around 10,000 followers prior to the release of the Heated Rivalry trailer to now reaching more than 126,000 fans on the social network. And, much like his character's feelings for Ilya, Williams's popularity isn't showing any signs of slowing down.
Fans can keep up with Connor Storrie (@connorstorrieofficial) and Hudson Williams (@hudsonwilliamsofficial) by following them on Instagram — and make sure to watch new episodes of Heated Rivalry streaming every Friday on HBO Max.
