I recently watchedHeated Rivalry.
Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) was an exceptional character. Charismatic, funny (though I don’t know that he was meant to be), and overall, really well acted by Storrie.
Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) was a predictable and boring character. I will preface that by saying, perhaps it was his portrayal by Williams. I get NOTHING from him. No energy of any kind. The character development was not there, charisma wasn’t there, the zero to pissed was a flash, without transition, and really, overall, this characters depth was missing completely.
Of the two actors, Storrie is my favorite by far. His evening on Saturday Night Live proved to me that his comedy and acting chops are top notch, and I for one am excited to see the direction it takes.
Brokeback Mountain proved that established actors can have a storied and varied career without being pigeonholed, but that was two cis-presenting men. Bi or otherwise, it’s not certain. While Storrie and Williams have not publicly confirmed their sexuality, their breakout visibility from this show threatens to do just that to them. My hope is we see growth from Williams, and continued success for both.
