Big day for Heated Rivalry fans! News about the new Season 2 co-leads is finally here.
HBO Max‘s Heated Rivalry Season 2 is set to focus on the shift in Shane and Ilya’s relationship post-cottage and is based on books 5 and 6 in the series.
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams will reprise their roles as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, but there are two new additions to the cast.
The fifth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, Role Model, follows the love story of the Ottawa Centaurs’ new right wing, Troy Barrett, and the Centaurs’ social media manager, Harris Drover. The characters have a strong connection to Ilya and Shane’s story, and seeing their relationships with each other grow and develop is one of the key parts of the book series.
So who are these guys playing Troy Barrett and Harris Drover, and what are fans saying? Read on to find out.
Who is Playing Troy Barrett and Harris Drover in Heated Rivalry?
Charlie Gillespie will play Troy Barrett. Troy Barrett is originally mentioned in Rachel Reid’s Tough Guy as a lackey for one of the main antagonists. We meet him again in the book Role Model, when he is transferred to the Ottawa Centaurs from Toronto after calling out his former best friend Dallas Kent for a slew of allegations. His move to Ottawa comes at a rough time for him, as he is struggling to rectify the person he used to be, but he is on the road to redemption and later becomes one of Ilya’s close friends.
Justice Smith will star alongside him as Harris Drover. The Ottawa Centaurs’ social media manager. Harris has always loved hockey, but a heart condition stopped him from pursuing it. He grew up in a family of apple farmers who foster dogs and is the total opposite of Troy. He is also an out and proud gay man and forces Troy to confront things about himself he would rather ignore.
Who is Charlie Gillespie?
Charlie Gillespie is a Canadian actor most known for his role as Luke Patterson in Kenny Ortega’s Julie and the Phantoms. The crossover between Heated Rivalry fans and JATP is quite huge, and fans had already started speculating his involvement weeks ago.
In addition to JATP, Gillespie has also starred in films like Totally Killer, Suze, and Sidelined 2: Intercepted.
He can absolutely pull off the sad and brooding look of Troy Barrett, so if you aren’t totally convinced yet, do not count him out.
Who is Justice Smith?
Justice Smith is not new to the acting scene. He has been in multiple YA films, including Paper Towns, Every Day, and All the Bright Places. He also starred in the 2024 horror fantasy film I Saw the TV Glow.
Although he is not what most people pictured when reading the description of Harris, fans of the series are trusting showrunner Jacob Tierney to bring his vision to life.
What are fans saying about Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie Joining Heated Rivalry Season 2?
The people yearn for Season 2 of Heated Rivalry to come to life. Here are just a few reactions from fans:
Heated Rivalry Season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.
