‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 adds Charlie Gillespie and ‘Now You See Me’ star as lead
Season 2 of ‘Heated Rivalry’ will widen its focus beyond the relationship at the center of the show’s first chapter. The Crave drama has added another pair of lead characters from Rachel Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ books. They will join the two returning actors who led the show’s debut season. The move gives the next installment a second relationship to explore while continuing Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s story.
According to Variety, Charlie Gillespie will play hockey player Troy Barrett, while Justice Smith will appear as Harris Drover, the social media manager for Ottawa’s team. Smith’s credits include ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ and ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,’ while Gillespie has appeared in ‘One Night Only,’ ‘Splitsville’ and ‘Suze.’ Crave and HBO Max have not yet released official descriptions for either character. Reid’s books, however, establish how Harris and Troy first enter each other’s lives.
Troy was traded to Ottawa after cutting ties with a former friend and Toronto teammate who is accused of se*ual assault. Harris becomes determined to pull the withdrawn player out of his shell after Troy arrives in Ottawa. The books develop the connection between them into another central romance within the ‘Game Changers’ series. Their promotion to lead status indicates that Season 2 will devote a substantial part of its story to the pair rather than use them as supporting characters.
Gillespie and Smith will lead Season 2 alongside Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who return as Ilya and Shane, respectively. Storrie and Williams made their breakout appearances in the first season as the rival hockey players whose secret relationship unfolded over several years. The official Season 1 logline said the story followed “what began as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies” that “evolved into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery.” Season 2 can now continue that relationship while introducing Harris and Troy as another major pairing.
Series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady addressed the new pairing in a statement released with the announcement. “Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for,” they said. “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.”
Tierney created and directs the Crave series. He executive produces it alongside Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson. Mike Goldbach is a co-writer on Season 2 along with Tierney. The announcement did not include a release date for ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2.
