Hudson Williams and Connor Storey’s meteoric rise to fame shows no signs of slowing down. Since Rivals premiered, the co-stars have gone from relative obscurity to Golden Globes presenters and Milan Fashion Week attendees, experiencing a level of celebrity that few actors encounter over the course of a few weeks, let alone an entire career.
Before the Golden Globes, Williams sat down with Evan Ross-Katz for Part 1 of a revealing interview on the Shut Up Evan podcast (Story appeared on the podcast earlier this month). The conversation, which ends on January 27th, offers a glimpse into the whirlwind experience of his sudden rise to stardom.
Asked about the overwhelming public reaction to his newfound fame, Williams admitted he was disoriented by the experience. “I was talking to one of my agents yesterday and he told me that Conor and I have to learn in about 30 days what most actors get in five years,” he explained. The rapid rise meant navigating the complex career decisions of choosing between prestigious projects, learning how to manage an overflowing inbox of scripts, and deciding which opportunities to pursue while maintaining a demanding reporting schedule.
Explaining the difficulty of sifting through opportunities, Williams said: “Are you going to read 10 pages? Are you just going to read lines in a log? What can you say no to before you actually spend all your time in the day? Because if you just sit there and read everything and get all these scripts done in time and give these people answers, you just don’t have time.”
The actor also opened up about the dark side of fame, especially the loss of privacy and constant surveillance. Reflecting on the unsolicited paparazzi photo, Williams said, “That person didn’t necessarily want that photo taken. It may not be outrageous, but it’s not sweet, and it’s not completely welcome. It doesn’t make us feel safe, and it doesn’t make us feel like we can actually disarm ourselves.” He said he experienced social anxiety for the first time since grade 9 just by trying to buy lighter fluid at the Vancouver SkyTrain station, admitting that he found himself wearing casual clothes and “planning his exit” to avoid crowds.
Williams compared her experience to that of BTS, saying she couldn’t fully empathize with their situation until she went through it herself. “There’s an element of being a celebrity instead of another human being,” he reflected, speaking of how that distinction changed his daily life. “I feel like we’re always on the defensive.”
