Justice Smith is speaking out following the news he’s joining season two of Heated Rivalry.
The 31-year-old actor has been cast as Harris Drover in the hit Crave-HBO Max show. He and Charlie Gillespie, who will play Troy Barrett, join in leading roles alongside Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.
“I have to say I am moved by the support and love I’m getting from fans in my DMs, fans who have welcomed me with open arms and who already feel a responsibility to protect me,” the actor said in an Instagram story post.
Some fans online have criticized the decision to cast a non-plus sized actor to play the character of Harris, who was described as chubbier than the hockey players of the book. “I am honored to play a character you all care about deeply and I promise I will take good care of him if you give me the chance. I am beyond excited for this experience.”
However, many online were quick to defend the casting, including Rachel Reid, who wrote the novels Heated Rivalry is based upon. “Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for Ilya and Shane was wrong and bad…” she wrote on an Instagram story shortly after the casting news was announced Friday.
Harris and Troy’s budding relationship drives Reid’s novel Role Model, the fifth installment of her Game Changers series, which Heated Rivalry the series is based on. “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 release about 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,” the statement continued. “They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”
Ottawa is expected to be the season two home for main character Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, who moves to the low-ranking Canadian team. The Russian hockey player made the decision to move to the team in the finale of the show’s first season to be closer to Heated Rivalry’s other main character and his now-boyfriend, Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams.
Crave renewed Heated Rivalry for a second season early into the show’s first season run. HBO Max has confirmed it will continue to air the series. The show will begin shooting its second season this month and is aiming for a spring 2027 release.
Tierney serves as writer, director and executive producer on the series. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers, alongside Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje as producers. Reid serves as a consulting producer. Mike Goldbach joins season two as co-writer alongside Tierney.
