Spoiler alert: This article contains details about episode 6 of “Heated Rivalry,” now streaming on HBO Max.
In what turns out to be one of the most powerful scenes in the six-episode queer romance sports drama “Heat Rivalry,” pro hockey star Shane Hollander has a heart-to-heart with his mother, Yuna, after coming out to his parents as gay.
Not only did Shane tell his mother and father about his sexuality, he also revealed that he was having an affair with his career nemesis, Ilya Rozanov (Conor Storey).
Yuna, played by “The Good Doctor” actress Christina Chan, apologizes to Shane for making him think she didn’t talk to him sooner. “I’m so proud of you,” she says, hugging her son. “please forgive me.”
Shane replied, “I forgive you, Mom.”
“The reality is that people have a choice in how they love others, and sometimes it’s a split-second decision,” Chan tells me over Zoom from her home in Vancouver, Canada. “We wanted to make sure that when she comes out, it’s not about her, it’s about a lot of things. You don’t know what she’s going to say. There’s a pause.”
Yuna could have opened up to Shane and told him that she was worried about his career and his support. “It could have been that way, but in the end she chooses Shane,” Chan says.
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, Conor Storey as Ilya Rozanov, Dylan Walsh as David Hollander, and Christina Chung as Una Hollander.
Sabrina Lantos
In fact, Williams recently told me that this mother-son conversation was the driving force behind her wanting to play Shane. “That scene was the one that messed me up the most when I read the script,” he said. “In that scene, I thought, ‘What if I couldn’t play Shane Hollander?’ It’s also a scene that’s not in the book, but to me, it’s a typical wrap-up scene for him and his mother for that arc. Period.”
Heated Rivalry is a work by creator Jacob Tierney and is based on the gay hockey romance novel series Game Changers by Rachel Reid. Chan was offered the role of Yoona and read the script for the six-episode season.
“I was like, ‘Is this soft-core porn? What’s going on? It’s hot. What the hell is going on right now? This is amazing. It’s like ‘Fifty Shades of…’! Oh my god!'” she said, then added with a laugh:
What was it like filming the scene with Hudson? Did it feel heavy?
Not on the day. I think Jacob said in an interview that these boys were very dedicated and focused. First, we learned how to eat, stay healthy, and stay in shape, and then took skating lessons. And of course, Connor took Russian lessons. This is a completely different and impressive situation. So they were very focused. That being said, we always knew how to have a good time and joke around. And while there was a lot of laughter on set because it’s a great outlet when things get intense, no one was making jokes while filming the scenes. That was the last scene of the day that made me grateful. I thought, “Okay, great. I don’t want them to feel like they have to rush to another site.” When I read that scene, I was moved, and I’ve been emotional ever since.
What advice would you give to parents of children who have come out?
Your love for your children and their happiness is most important. Everyone has a different definition of protection, but loving and protecting them means seeing them as they are and accepting them. If your child has the courage to tell you this, please know that it probably wasn’t easy. So love them for that and get through it together.
What did you think when you heard that HBO Max was acquiring the show from (Canadian streamer) Crave?
I thought, “Okay, here’s the shot.” Now we are going to show up. ‘I didn’t know yet how it would be received.
An NHL spokesperson said the organization welcomes any opportunity to bring in new hockey fans. And the next phenomenon is everyone asking the trainer at the gym how they can get a hockey butt.
Isn’t that crazy? Those kids (Williams and Storey) are the best guys. Of course I’m not their mother and I’m their friend so I want to have fun with them, but I also feel like I’m protecting them.
Are you worried about them?
I haven’t experienced[their fame]at all, but I watch it and I think it’s really weird and it’s weird for them too. I’m not worried yet. Online conversations about their own personal lives are an interesting topic. We understand different points of view.
What are your expectations for season 2?
To be able to spend as much time as possible with Hudson and Connor. Jacob expanded on Yuna’s role just a little bit from the book. My hope is that we get to see them fleshed out in the next chapter and she and Elijah develop a relationship. I think it will be wonderful and fun.
This Q&A has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
