Heated Rivalry at all the parties

Hollywood is now fully operational, back to business in the first week of January, and it’s award season with the Golden Globes happening on Sunday, which every year means that almost everyone is in town, because even if they’re not contending for awards, they’re there to network, hit the party circuit, set up deals, be seen for the sake of being seen…

And no cast has been more seen over the last few weeks than the actors from Heated Rivalry. We’re not just talking about Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie either. François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter on the show, presented at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday and has been savvily candid on social media and during red carpet interviews. Right before Christmas he clapped back at Jordan Firstman and on the carpet at Critics Choice he cheekily referred to the “failing NHL” for capitalising on Heated Rivalry to broaden their audience.

François Arnaud of #HeatedRivalry talks about how hockey players are watching the show and jokes, "the fact that the 'failing' NHL is using us to bring people in." #CriticsChoice pic.twitter.com/ccewQuA93J

— Variety (@Variety) January 5, 2026

Where’s the lie?!

François was with Robbie G.K., who plays Scott’s love interest “Kip”, and co-star Nadine Bhabha last night at The Hollywood Reporter’s pre-Globes party. I know the boys are getting all of the attention, and they should, but we can also take a second to appreciate how the female friends are depicted on Heated Rivalry. Sophie Nélisse and Nadine both really sparkle in their roles as the BFFs, both of their performances felt real to me, I could see shades of my own experiences in each woman with gay men in my life.

So that’s three Canadians from Heated Rivalry on one carpet – and then a fourth, Hudson Williams, who’s been as visible as any celebrity this week with his New York City takeover, being a good corporate citizen and attending the season four premiere of Industry, where he hung out with series lead Myha’la. (Both Industry and Heated Rivalry air on HBO Max in the United States.) I interviewed Myha’la before the holidays on the Industry junket and Joanna, who produced me for the assignment for ETALK, picked up on the fact that Myha’la was obsessed with Heated Rivalry, so we ended up being the only outlet to ask her about it. I teed her up…and she went off.

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Joanna texted me last night, she’s been waiting for this moment for weeks – Myha’la, a fellow actor who has been swept up in the Heated Rivalry hysteria, finally met Hudson. And it doesn’t look like she played it cool.

No rivals here…. Myha'la and Hudson Williams say hi at the INDUSTRY S4 premiere in NYC ♥️ pic.twitter.com/5vpooMNXot

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) January 9, 2026

Over its three seasons, Industry probably doesn’t get the hype it deserves. This is a series that should be in contention for awards and for whatever reason, it’s always overlooked. But the show has an extremely devoted following – perhaps not as widespread as Heated Rivalry but there’s definitely intensity there. These two fandoms, then, have officially collided. Hudson also hit up the Industry after-party. Here he is spreading his chaos to Myha’la over a cocktail.

Hudson will likely be heading to LA soon for Globes weekend where he and Connor will be presenting. As noted yesterday, they’re seated with Charli XCX and Julia Roberts. Charli will be the one trying to get them to go smoke in the bathroom. Julia will be the one ordering them to sit their asses down, right next to her, so that she can mother them all night.