Heated Rivalry season two will see Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie return as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, and we now know who will be joining the pair as Troy Barrett and Harris Drover, two incredibly important characters for Shane and Ilya's journey.
Justice Smith has been cast as Harris and Charlie Gillespie as Troy. The pair appeared in Rachel Reid's book Role Model, which follows the same timeline as 2022's The Long Game, the book expected to be adapted for season two.
In Role Model, hockey player Troy is traded from the Toronto Guardians to the Ottawa Centaurs after a fight with a teammate. With his new team, it emerges there is more to Troy than meets the eye as he struggles to overcome his own complicity in the league's toxic masculinity while discovering his own sexuality.
Harris is the Centaurs' social media manager. Their relationship is the impetus for Troy's teammate Ilya to become frustrated with his own secret romance with Shane, leading to a life-changing conflict.
"Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for," showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a statement, confirming the casting.
"From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen. Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are."
Fan disappointment over representation
Fans have largely been supportive of Justice's casting – the actor is a black man – as TV adaptations frequently alter physical descriptions of characters.
In the books, Harris is described as a white, stocky man who was raised on an apple farm. He is one of only a few characters in the series who is considered emotionally healthy, although he has confidence issues around his appearance because he is surrounded by high-level athletes who have distinctive and "stereotypically" attractive bodies. Harris also has a heart condition that meant he could not play hockey, and was often in and out of the hospital as a child.
Those issues are part of his character arc, and why he is doubtful that Troy is attracted to him.
However, many have voiced frustration that Harris' build may have been ignored; it is rare on TV to see queer characters that don't fit a stereotypical gym body, and Justice is not considered plus-size - or even mid-size.
"A bit disappointed they are changing Harris's body type as the only heavier character in the series," read one comment on HBO Max's social media post, as another follower commented: "I think it's time to stop trying to change skin and recognize that this character was important just as he was, because he represented the normality of diverse bodies. I don't like it."
"There is nearly zero queer representation for heavier set or chubby/stocky guys in entertainment, especially ones that end in a happy ending," added another.
© Getty ImagesJustice is known for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Now You See Me: Now You Don't.
Heated Rivalry season 2 filming
Filming on season two and season three is currently in pre-production ahead of a planned spring 2027 release on Crave and HBO Max of season two. Season three will be released at a later date.
"There is an easy, facile way of looking at Role Model," Jacob previously said of how he plans to incorporate the book into season two.
"It's very 'grumpy sunshine.' It's very 'apple orchard.' It can drift into things that you want, but Troy is a really damaged guy. And Troy is quite damaged on the show. I would say we're digging into that even harder."
Will Heated Rivalry season 2 follow The Long Game?
Season one of Heated Rivalry ended before the conclusion of the book it was based on, and fans have long speculated that season two may keep a tight focus on the book's final epilogue and The Long Game's opening chapters, diving deeper into Shane's coming out with his team and the formation of Shane and Ilya's Irina Foundation during the 2018/2019 season.
Narrowing the time frame of season two would allow Jacob to spend time broadening the world to include characters readers met in Role Model and 2020's Tough Guy, including Ryan Price and Fabian Salah.
