TOO BIG TO CONTAIN

IT’S OFFICIAL. OUR TIMELINE IS FULL OF HOCKEY EDITS, INTENSE EYE CONTACT, AND ONE VERY DISCUSSED PAIR OF CHEEKS, THANKS TO CONNOR STORRIE. AS ONE HALF OF THE VIRAL BOY LOVE DUO FROM HEATED RIVALRY, THE SERIES THAT SEEMINGLY APPEARED OVERNIGHT AND THEN CONSUMED THE INTERNET WHOLE, STORRIE HAS GONE FROM PROMISING ACTOR TO FULL-BLOWN PHENOMENON AT A SPEED THAT SHOULD PROBABLY COME WITH A WARNING SIGN.

FUNNY AND SLIGHTLY CHAOTIC, STORRIE IS REFRESHINGLY SELF-AWARE ABOUT THE STRANGE REALITY OF BECOMING A FANDOM FIXATION – ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT FIXATION IS EXTREMELY ONLINE AND EXTREMELY HORNY. BTB SITS DOWN WITH THE TEXAN HUNK-OF-THE-MOMENT TO TALK SUDDEN FAME, HIS VERY ADORABLE YOUTUBE PAST, AND WHY HIS TECHNO SOUNDCLOUD MIGHT BE HARDER TO FIND THAN HIS BUTT ON TWITTER.

Pants **Louis Gabriel Nouchi**, vintage tee **Helmut Lang**

Hello Connor! I’ve been a very good gay and watched Heated Rivalry every single week as it was coming out, practically on the edge of my seat. It’s been such a joy to see something that felt like it came out of nowhere explode in the way it did. Did you know it was going to land like this?

I always knew it was special. I thought the work was great, and I knew it was different from anything I’d seen. But with streaming now, there’s no real sense of scale. When we were kids, it was network TV or theatrical releases – you either existed or you didn’t. Now there’s so much variation in how something is seen and talked about. You can’t predict it. So yeah, I knew it was cool, but I had no idea how many people would actually find it.

I read that you live in West Hollywood. What’s that experience been like since the release? Can you even walk down the street for two minutes without being stopped?

West Hollywood is actually way more diverse than people think. There’s obviously a big gay culture, but there are also a lot of affluent thirty-something business people, and then – and this surprises everyone – there are a lot of older Russian people.

Left Sweater, shirt and tie **Dior Men**
Right Jacket **Louis Gabriel Nouchi**, pants **Dsquared2** and vintage tie

No way!

Yeah. Before it became known as a gay haven, it was kind of a Russian neighbourhood. There are still Russian pharmacies, grocery stores, and hardware stores. So, needless to say, the older Russian people aren’t the ones stopping me on the street. But yeah, people probably recognise me more here than in other parts of LA.

Speaking of all things Russian – your accent in the show genuinely blew my mind. I’m Polish, and I was completely convinced you were Russian before I learnt more about you. I know that you had a very intensive language course as you were filming, but were there any “tricks” – words, sentences – that you found particularly helpful to tap into the accent and the language on set?

No, not really. For me, it was about time and consistency. The moment I got out of the car on set, I started speaking with the accent to all the PAs, all the ADs, hair, makeup, and wardrobe people. I stayed in it until the last cut of the day. Not because I was “in character,” but because it gave me an hour and a half to warm up. Accents feel ridiculous at first. You think, “I don’t sound like that.” Of course you don’t. But if you normalise it – both for yourself and for the people around you – it starts to feel real. I think that’s why people convince themselves they’re bad at accents. They don’t give themselves permission to sound wrong at first.

Left Jacket & pants **Fendi**, watch **Omega**, vintage tank top
Right Blazer **Dolce&Gabbana,** top **Louis Gabriel Nouchi,** pants **Louis Vuitton**

Ilya, your character, goes through so much emotional turmoil throughout the course of the first season. Was there anything you found particularly difficult to access?

Honestly, not really. The character is so specific that if I believe in his circumstances for even two seconds, I can’t help but be affected. There’s so much family history and cultural weight there – especially in episodes five and six – that it just [immediately] hits you.

Your chemistry with Hudson [Williams] is off the charts – we have been blushing a lot! What’s it like working with him?

As an actor, Hudson is incredibly intentional and thoughtful. I’m more playful and experimental – I don’t always take things seriously enough. He holds me accountable. Seeing his dedication makes me want to step up my game.

Left Right Blazer **Dolce&Gabbana**, top **Louis Gabriel Nouchi**, pants **Louis Vuitton**
Right Full look **Lacoste**

And what do you value the most in him as a friend?

He’s one of the only people who can match my enthusiasm. We “yes-and” each other constantly. We have this irreverent way of joking about life because the situation we’re in is so bizarre. It came out of nowhere. Being able to laugh at the ridiculousness and the beauty of it together – that’s really special.

The show took social media by storm – my algorithm is mostly you guys. What’s the most unhinged – but still kind – reaction you’ve seen online that perhaps left you speechless?

Well, I would have to say my ass being such a big part of the conversation. I mean, I knew nudity would be a topic going in. And I was very aware that there was going to be a certain level of appreciation for that. However, I did not expect it to be this direct. I think, cumulatively, my butt has something like 30 million views on Twitter. People zoom in. There are wide shots. There are medium shots. Even extreme close-ups of my literal cheeks. I truly did not see that coming…