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00:03Hudson Williams
00:10and Connor Story
00:18Congratulations
00:19Thank you
00:22Thank you
00:22I was listening, watching the audience reactions
00:27they were squealing
00:29panting, laughing
00:32at all the right times
00:33If you're panting at the wrong time
00:36see a doctor
00:37and if you're laughing at the wrong times
00:40ouch
00:43Jacob
00:43I'm going to start with you
00:45so you listened to
00:47Rachel Reid's
00:49Game Changers series on audiobook
00:51then you reached out
00:54to acquire the rights
00:56I did
00:57I followed her on Instagram
00:58I slid into her DMs
01:00I followed her on Instagram
01:01she followed me back
01:02and then we started
01:03we started chatting
01:04So from then to now
01:06Yeah
01:07you wanting to adapt
01:08the book
01:09to now
01:10how does it feel?
01:12How are you?
01:12You good?
01:13Great, I'm good. Are you good?
01:14Yes, I feel good
01:15It's great
01:16Yeah, it's crazy
01:19It's
01:20This show
01:21that was three summers ago
01:24How does math work?
01:25That was
01:27the first season of the Traders
01:29that's how I can remember it
01:31I was on set on
01:31season one of the Traders Canada
01:33so it was two summers ago
01:34and that's when I
01:36I followed Rachel on Instagram
01:38so in TV language
01:40that is like lightning speed
01:42it's very, very, very fast
01:46and I am very happy
01:49I'm very tired
01:50and I'm very overwhelmed
01:52So what was it about Shane and Ilya's story
01:56Holonoff that made you want to start here?
01:59I mean
02:01it's
02:02it's the
02:02I mean
02:03I love the books
02:05I love them all
02:06Rachel, you know I do
02:07and
02:08Heated Rivalry
02:09it's the
02:10iconic one
02:11and I think it's the iconic one for a reason
02:14it doesn't follow
02:16a lot of the normal tropes of a romance novel
02:21and they're
02:22I mean Rachel's writing is so good in general
02:25but these
02:25these characters are so well written
02:27they're so alive
02:28they're funny
02:29their dynamic is interesting
02:31you care about them
02:32and then fundamentally there's something incredibly sweet about the fact that they meet
02:37when they're rookies
02:38and
02:39the whole show
02:40spoilers
02:41takes place over eight years
02:42and it's like
02:43it's this long
02:45smutty
02:46love story
02:46but ultimately
02:47they're each other's first love
02:49which is
02:49ultimately really
02:50sweet
02:51and
02:52very conservative
02:53and very romantic
02:54and I
02:55and I like that
02:56Let me come back to the smutty in a minute
02:59Hudson
02:59let's talk about Shane
03:00he is between the two characters
03:02more reserved
03:03and in the book
03:04you know
03:06we learn about him through the inner monologue
03:08right?
03:08the expectations placed on him
03:10his worries
03:12his frustration
03:13so how did you bring all that emotion to life from the page?
03:18a good director
03:19a good writer
03:21I think it came down to
03:25I think letting the fans in
03:27it started with Jacob's scripts
03:28and that was a lot
03:30clearly he was
03:31he was always going through something
03:32and then reading the book
03:35he means
03:35he means shade
03:36not me
03:37yeah
03:38clearly Jacob was always going through something
03:40it was always a new thing
03:41on sad new neuroses
03:42and he just
03:43take us
03:43take it out on us
03:44I hate it here
03:46no
03:46no
03:47but then
03:48Rachel also
03:50her book
03:51like
03:52gave so much more inner monologue
03:53that I wasn't thinking
03:54when I read those scenes
03:55in the script
03:56and then
03:58I made the great choice
03:59to go on twitter
04:00and reddit
04:01and everywhere
04:01just to get everyone's opinion
04:03on Shane
04:04because I wanted to bring it all in
04:07and then they had so many opinions
04:10and so many ideas
04:11of what he was going through
04:13in these moments
04:13and what he was thinking
04:14and how he must have felt
04:16and so
04:17at first I was like
04:18fuck
04:18sorry
04:19do I choose one of these
04:20and then I never did
04:22and it was always
04:23so many things rattling around
04:25in my brain
04:25and I never made a choice
04:28and hopefully
04:30it just worked
04:31and if it didn't
04:33I am so sorry
04:35yeah
04:36that's my answer
04:40Connor
04:40Ilya's
04:42charismatic
04:45he has a more
04:46his charismatic
04:47and like assertive exterior
04:49kind of conceals
04:50a vulnerability
04:51so what was it
04:53that clicked for you
04:54in understanding
04:55who he is?
04:56Understanding who he is
04:57underneath the
04:58the sort of exterior
04:59however you want to
05:01interpret that question
05:02and whether or not
05:02you went on reddit too
05:03I don't know
05:04yeah
05:04I did not
05:08no I mean honestly
05:09it was very
05:10his character is pretty
05:11straightforward for me
05:12actually
05:13if you look at his
05:14circumstances
05:15based on
05:16not only heated rivalry
05:17but also long game
05:18but we'll stick to
05:19heated rivalry
05:20his background is so
05:22specific
05:22that you kind of
05:24can't help but
05:25have a really distinct
05:26idea of what that
05:27person looks like
05:28you know
05:28coming from Russia
05:30being secretly
05:32bisexual
05:32or you know
05:33and having already
05:35come to terms
05:36with that
05:37having you know
05:38a shitty bro
05:40brother
05:40having you know
05:42dead mom
05:43having an Alzheimer's
05:44ridden father
05:45being a professional
05:46hockey player
05:47like it's also so specific
05:48that you kind of
05:49can't help but
05:51I don't know
05:52have an idea of what
05:52that must feel like
05:53and what that must be like
05:54so I think the pressure
05:55is just on and he kind of
05:56runs from it
05:57with that exterior
05:58you both do such a great job
06:01playing your respective
06:03characters
06:04but then of course
06:05it's the chemistry between
06:07Shane and Iliad
06:08I mean
06:09I believed every finger touch
06:12every kiss
06:18I told you only when we're
06:20paying you
06:22you don't get it for free
06:23you don't get it for free
06:24you don't get it for free
06:26I'm sure everyone else here
06:27did too
06:28every charged gaze
06:31all of that
06:32so
06:34how did you build
06:35this relationship
06:36off screen
06:37to bring it
06:39on screen
06:40to this point
06:41we've gotten this question
06:43a lot
06:44I know
06:44and I want to hear it again
06:46yeah
06:46and I think that
06:48every time I answer it
06:49I'm just
06:49it's the same thing
06:50and it just makes me
06:52realize it even more
06:53I mean
06:54I think we just have
06:55very compatible energies
06:56and I think we're both
06:57very bold
06:59and kind of
07:00we're game to get
07:01like intimate
07:02and vulnerable
07:03and get two inches
07:04from each other's face
07:05and we're both
07:06comfortable with that
07:07and when you have someone
07:08who matches that energy
07:09it just becomes
07:09you know
07:10even more kinetic
07:12yeah
07:12match our freak
07:13match our freak
07:14and I also think
07:16we just have
07:17an ability to look like fools
07:19and try a bunch of things
07:20that Jacob hates
07:22and I think a lot of that
07:24is like just given options
07:25you know
07:26just try this
07:27try that
07:27you know
07:28give like Shane a nervous tick
07:30and then
07:30he's like we'll leave that
07:31on the editing room floor
07:32and then just all shaped up
07:34nice and dandy
07:35but we both have that ability
07:37thank you
07:38thank you for hearing
07:40to just try stuff
07:40he loves it
07:42I know you know
07:44the fans of this book
07:46are very intense
07:47about this book
07:49and this
07:50relationship
07:53and they're
07:53they care very much
07:55about signature scenes
07:57tuna melt
07:59Russian phone call
08:01confession scene
08:02all of that
08:04it's all gonna be there
08:04so
08:06was there a scene
08:08in particular
08:08Jacob
08:09that you were most excited
08:11to tackle
08:11or more nervous
08:12or
08:14whatever
08:16I haven't answered this
08:17version of this yet
08:18you know what was exciting
08:19for me to write
08:21was
08:22the scene on the phone
08:23from Russia
08:24because
08:25it's not
08:26kind of
08:27it's
08:27I mean obviously it's in the book
08:29but it's not written what he's actually saying
08:30so I wrote him a whole
08:33fucking very long
08:35monologue
08:36and
08:36and that was fun
08:38it was really fun
08:39to do that
08:39it was fun to
08:41add more Svetlana
08:43it was kind of fun to help build a bit more of the world out
08:47I took great pleasure in that
08:49while I hope and think honoring the like the spirit of the story
08:54I was very aware of the tuna melt
08:56I was very aware of the cottage
09:01I was
09:01there's a lot
09:02that I mean yeah
09:03like they're big moments for me too
09:05I'm a fan
09:05like I wanted to do them
09:07to do them all
09:08I mean a lot of them are in that
09:09like that
09:10the Vegas rooftop is like
09:12huge
09:13and
09:14so is that shower
09:16so
09:16I mean there's so much that is like
09:18so
09:18I mean that's what's so great about this book
09:21is that it kind of hops from these
09:23incredibly memorable scenes
09:24to another
09:25incredibly memorable scene
09:28Hudson and Connor
09:28is there a scene that you predict
09:30fans will
09:31lose it over
09:32once it airs?
09:34I'm very bad at gauging that now
09:37because
09:37like recently the
09:39the gym scene was released
09:40I was like oh that's pretty tame
09:42people might just be like
09:43oh that's cute
09:44but they just were feral and frothy
09:46on the mountain
09:47and
09:47so I'm just a horrible
09:50horrible gauge for everything
09:52clearly
09:53um
09:53but hopefully all of it
09:55I hopefully just you know
09:56I'm trying to think of other iconic moments
09:58from the book
09:59that
10:00um
10:00will become
10:01that'll come to life like that
10:03like highlight points
10:04oh
10:05I hope the
10:05a scene
10:06can I spoil
10:07um the scene
10:08whoa
10:11does it spoil anything?
10:13there is a whole
10:14book out there
10:15no that's fine
10:15I like
10:16but there are things
10:17yeah
10:18I think you're talking about the scene
10:20uh
10:21before
10:22this
10:22Vegas hotel room
10:24in the bathroom
10:25yep
10:25that's the one
10:26do you mean?
10:27yes it is
10:28uh yeah that's a great scene
10:29that's an episode
10:30that's an episode too
10:31and I hope it
10:32makes them
10:33wait I don't
10:34wait I don't know what we're talking about
10:35after
10:36you guys present
10:37uh
10:38oh yeah
10:39yes
10:40there's a
10:41there's a
10:42like a hard to find
10:43vodka involved
10:44yes
10:44yes
10:45no I mean that seems great
10:46that seems great
10:47that's in Vegas right?
10:49it's very long
10:49the scene before though
10:51that's like
10:52when they're discussed
10:53when they have a
10:54they kind of have a fight
10:54post awards
10:55a fight
10:56so it's not that hot and heavy
10:58but it's um
10:59it's hot and heavy
11:00yeah
11:02um
11:04you are
11:05the stars of the show
11:07but of course
11:08it wouldn't be complete
11:10without your colleagues
11:11without your co-stars
11:12a few of them are here tonight
11:14right?
11:15Dylan Walsh
11:16Dylan Walsh
11:17oh my god
11:18Senya Daniella
11:20we have so many other
11:21one uh
11:22Callan Potter's here
11:23uh with Hayden
11:24whoo
11:25whoo
11:26I know he matters a lot to you
11:28uh
11:29and we have
11:30not with us Sophie Nellis
11:31who plays Rose
11:32and Francois Arnault
11:33obviously who plays Scott Hunter
11:35and all kinds of other
11:37brilliant talented actors
11:38all over the place
11:39and yeah
11:41it's a great cast
11:42we were very lucky
11:45no
11:45was there
11:47no I don't want you to
11:48wait
11:48what were you supposed to say that?
11:50was there a question in there?
11:51I wanted you to talk about your co-stars
11:53and working with the ensemble cast
11:55and what that meant to you
11:56oh
11:56it was fantastic
11:58I
12:00it was
12:01um
12:01and I think
12:03just you know
12:04you haven't met these people
12:05they're playing
12:06people you need to have chemistry with
12:08they already come in
12:10with this kind of
12:10expectation of
12:11a relationship
12:12and
12:13I think us sort of
12:15overwhelmed
12:15by just
12:16everyone having the best attitude
12:18um
12:19and just being so friendly
12:20and
12:21really
12:23careful
12:24with the
12:25their characters
12:26and the text
12:27and they really cared
12:28none of it felt like
12:29they were just kind of showing up
12:30to do a
12:31paycheck
12:32or something
12:33they were
12:33they were in it
12:34to win it
12:35and we were both in
12:36we were both in very new circumstances
12:38I mean me
12:39not speaking Russian
12:40and not playing hockey
12:42Hudson also not playing hockey
12:43it was really great
12:44because we
12:45also can't speak Russian
12:46fun fun
12:47but can speak Russian
12:48I can do Russian
12:50давай
12:51spasibo
12:51that's
12:53that's my thing
12:54um
12:56but I mean we were in a lot of scenarios where
12:59you know
13:00we were kind of out there
13:01and we really need some help and assistance
13:02and it was great
13:03I mean
13:04Alexei
13:05my brother is here
13:07um
13:08also
13:08um
13:09Dania
13:10who plays Svetlana
13:11like I mean
13:12it was just great to have people who actually know
13:14and they were so incredibly supportive
13:16and that was so nerve-wracking
13:17everyone who helped us do
13:19um
13:20all things hockey
13:21were so supportive
13:22like
13:22it's so scary to show up
13:25and like
13:25not look like an idiot
13:27and then look like an idiot
13:29and someone would be like
13:30you don't look that bad
13:31it's like
13:32is
13:33is a really great experience
13:34on and editing around you looking like an idiot
13:37hearing your directors say that you have to edit around you
13:41you know
13:42there's a lot of hurtful possibilities here
13:44they did a really
13:44they did a very good job with the hockey
13:45I think we should also
13:46uh
13:47I don't know if
13:47even if she made it tonight
13:48but our intimacy coordinator
13:50Jayla Hunt
13:51she is here
13:51I saw her
13:52where is she
13:54that's nice to hear
13:57a hero
13:58a hero
13:59a hero
13:59this show would not have been what it was without her
14:01and uh
14:02just made an enormous
14:04there's obviously
14:06I mean this was essentially a full-time job for Jayla as you can imagine
14:09she was there almost every day
14:10um
14:12and
14:12we
14:14the
14:14the way that that
14:15you know
14:16that was something
14:17uh frankly
14:18I'm just inventing my own questions now Eleni sorry
14:20I had never
14:21my next question was about getting smutty and horny
14:23let's get dirty
14:24like tell me about the horny and the smutty
14:26I've never shot a lot
14:27I've shot sex scenes before as a director and as an actor
14:31but
14:31to this extent
14:32and this elaborate and this volume
14:34where it was such a part of the language of the show
14:36and we
14:37we rehearsed them
14:38uh
14:38at the very beginning of the
14:40but
14:40with Jayla
14:41but then
14:42having her there and her input
14:44it was
14:45it was
14:46uh
14:47it just
14:48she helped us all have a language where we could just become so comfortable with it
14:52and
14:53obviously as you can imagine by the end
14:55it was like
14:56oh my god
14:56put on a robe
14:57like they're so
14:58they're too comfortable
14:59to remind like the nudity stuff is also for the crew
15:02like you have to put on clothes
15:03um
15:05and uh
15:06but like
15:07the level of facilitation
15:09and
15:10what it gave us
15:13we have to do so much with the sex in the show
15:15because the sex is about character
15:16for it
15:17you
15:17their connection changes
15:19they start off so young
15:20they get to be 25
15:21they realize they're in love
15:22like that
15:23that the sex can't be static
15:24and it's boring
15:25we all love smut
15:27but like
15:27it's boring if it's the same thing over and over again
15:30you don't want to see that
15:31you want to see something different
15:32you want it to feel different
15:33to have a different level of engagement
15:35you really are learning about this relationship through it
15:37so to have chayla as an ally
15:39as a
15:40as a guide
15:41throughout this was just amazing
15:43and i know that
15:44the boys loved her too
15:45thank you for your work
15:47thank you for your work
15:48thank you for your work
15:51thank you for your work
15:57is he also watching the show and he's like
16:01so
16:02het
16:04Listen, it's not about me, but here's how I'll sell the show to people.
16:09He dropped me off at the train station this morning, and I was like, I am so excited tonight.
16:14Fucking going to moderate this gay, hot romance show, and I'm so horny about it.
16:22And he was like, show me a scene.
16:24I showed him a scene, and he was like, all right.
16:28He was like, I'm coming on the train with you, man.
16:31He was like, can't wait for you to get home, and I'm like, you better wait up.
16:38Anyway, all right.
16:39So, thank you for acknowledging my smutty and horny.
16:47Jacob, switching gears a little bit.
16:49No.
16:50Please.
16:53You said in a recent interview that it was really, that you wanted to maintain Shane Hollander's cultural identity.
17:01Yeah, of course.
17:02That you did not want to whitewash this character in this sport.
17:05Can you talk about why that was important to you?
17:09Yeah.
17:09I mean, I guess kind of for me, for the obvious reasons, there are not a lot of people who
17:16are not white in the NHL.
17:18And there are not a lot of people who are not white as leads in romances, either.
17:25And so, that was a huge part of it.
17:27And I think it's a lot about, I think it's a lot about Shane's personality, is that he is this
17:36kind of outsider.
17:37And I think there's something very interesting that happens when you read a book and your character's name is Shane
17:43Hollander, that your brain can whitewash him in a really easy way.
17:46And there was never a question to me, like, this character had to be Asian.
17:51And I think it just brings something much more interesting to the story, besides just honoring what's in the book.
17:57I mean, like, it was never a question because it's in the book.
17:59Like, I wouldn't question that, period.
18:02But then I also wanted to, and we talked about this, I wanted to address it.
18:06Like, I wanted him to talk about it a little bit.
18:08Because there aren't, besides, and this show is not Nick Suzuki fan fiction.
18:15Rachel Reed will tell you that, though.
18:17And it's not, it was published before he was the captain of the Habs.
18:20But, like, the fact that there is a half-Asian captain of the Montreal hockey team right now, aside, there
18:26are not that many Asian characters.
18:28There are many Asian players in hockey.
18:30And so, I thought, like, that is, it just makes the whole thing more interesting.
18:34And, yeah, it would be monstrous just to make him white.
18:40Well, as you said, a confession, I'll tell you something, admit it to you.
18:45When I was reading the book.
18:45We're just chatting now, right?
18:46No, when I was reading the book, even though I am of East Asian background, Shane Hollander, in my mind,
18:54was not Asian.
18:55Yeah.
18:56Even as an East Asian person.
18:58So, I really appreciate this effort.
19:00And so, to you, Hudson, what does it mean to you, coming from your background, to be able to play
19:06this character in this story that so many people are going to see?
19:09It means a lot.
19:12My mom told me at one point that when I wanted, I told her I was going to be an
19:16actor.
19:16She said it scared her because she thought her being an Asian lady, that it would kind of limit my
19:25possibilities for roles I could get because she hadn't really seen people like her on the screen.
19:33And then when I booked a role due to the fact there was a prerequisite that I am half Asian,
19:40I think it just kind of made her see that things are changing and there are new possibilities.
19:47So, that really felt amazing.
19:57Connor, the majority of the fans of this book are women and queer, and this show serves that audience, prioritizes
20:08that audience.
20:09As a part of this team, how do you feel to be part of a show that prioritizes an audience
20:19that is often neglected, underserved?
20:23How do I feel?
20:24You personally, yeah.
20:25Yeah, I mean, I've said this before, I feel like getting into niche-specific human experiences, whether it's Shane being,
20:39you know, half Asian or Ilya being a foreigner, both of them being queer, I think getting into these really
20:46niche-specific human experiences actually really give you a chance to open up and let people connect.
20:54You know, if it was super generic, you know, if it was super generic, then it's kind of like, it's
20:57so vanilla that there's kind of nothing to stick, you know.
21:00I was really surprised when I found out that most of the demographics of people who love Rachel's books are
21:07predominantly women, because I think on the surface you would think, you know, MM romance and you would think men.
21:13And I think those two communities just really relate to the feeling of being, I'm in a box, that box
21:23says I can be A, B, or C, and I feel capable of more than that.
21:28And I think these two characters feel that way, you know, living in the gray on some level, feeling like
21:32what's expected of me, what the world wants from me, and what I am or not, always cohesive.
21:38So, and I definitely relate to that too, you know, so it feels very good to be in that conversation.
21:44It's also just way more interesting to, I think, appeal to that than, you know, middle America or something, you
21:53know.
21:53Like, this ain't the Taylor Sheridan universe.
22:00But I do have a show called Landman.
22:04It's going to be Landman, Oilman, Truckman.
22:07It's so filthy.
22:09You mentioned MM Fiction, right?
22:11Huge on TikTok.
22:12Woo!
22:13A book talk, sorry.
22:15BL, Boys Love, is exploding in popularity in the eastern markets in broadcast.
22:21But we haven't seen shows, the books, yes, but the shows in the western market really take off.
22:31You are leading a movement.
22:32You are.
22:33I agree.
22:34No, I think that what we've seen is a lot of it skewing YA in the west, right?
22:41And I think, I've said this a bunch of times, like, I would love to be a gay 14-year
22:45-old or 15-year-old now, like, to have, to have grown up with Heartstopper and Young Royals and all
22:50these.
22:51Like, they're wonderful.
22:52They're also for young people.
22:54So they're sexually neutered.
22:56And I think that this is that for grownups.
22:59Because we get to have our fun, too.
23:02And as cool as it is to wait six episodes for people to hold hands, it's also fun to watch
23:06them bang.
23:08Woo!
23:11We do that.
23:12Bang.
23:13Bang.
23:14Bang.
23:15Okay.
23:16Yeah, so that's what this show is.
23:17But I think that, like, I think that that's the part that, besides happy endings, that's what gay people really
23:26don't get.
23:26I didn't mean it that way.
23:29I get it.
23:29I hear it.
23:30But, like, yeah, we don't get happy endings.
23:33And we don't get to see ourselves have satisfying sex.
23:35We get, like, kind of, like, dirty secret trysts.
23:40And then we get, it's like, you know, that was the joy of this show to me and of Rachel's
23:45books and getting to explore this world was just that this is just a complete love story about two people
23:51who, yeah, who are obsessed with each other and can't stop bucking and then realize they're in love.
23:58Bucking is great.
23:59Yeah, agreed.
24:00Amen.
24:01Um, all right.
24:02We have three minutes left, so we're going to do a lightning round.
24:05Ready?
24:05It's just one pop song.
24:08Okay, ready?
24:09Who breaks character first?
24:11What was the question?
24:12Who breaks character first?
24:13Hudson.
24:14Hudson.
24:14I'm always a character.
24:15You don't get to say that.
24:17Who is most like their character?
24:21Sophie?
24:22Sophie.
24:23Sophie.
24:24Yes.
24:24Yeah.
24:27Not Francois.
24:32Okay, so, lightning round.
24:36Yes, lightning, lightning.
24:36Shane and Ilya's couple name is Holonov.
24:39No, it's Shalia.
24:40It's a Holonov.
24:41Oh.
24:42Shalia?
24:45Or Holonov.
24:46Woo!
24:48I won.
24:49I won.
24:50I won.
24:51Shalia is, no.
24:52Shalia?
24:53No.
24:53Okay.
24:54Shalia sounds like a thing you have.
24:57Guys, I think I have Shalia.
24:59Um, so, how do we combine Connor's story and Hudson Williams?
25:04What do we, we, we, I'm stories.
25:06No.
25:06Uh.
25:07Yeah.
25:08Hudner.
25:08Hudner.
25:09Con.
25:10Hud.
25:10Hudcon.
25:11Hudcon.
25:11That's the front of both of them.
25:13That doesn't make any sense.
25:15Well, y'all decide.
25:16I'm not going to shit myself.
25:18Hudson.
25:19constant.
25:20Concent.
25:21Concent.
25:22Concent and Willie.
25:23No.
25:25This is your right here.
25:26This is the thing.
25:27I'm asking questions.
25:29What was the, Hudcon is the book.
25:32Hudcon.
25:32Hudcon.
25:33We didn't agree to that.
25:35We're at Hudcon 5.
25:38what is shane and ilia's theme song um i really want no i'm not gonna say i want i really
25:48i really
25:49want um ilia at some point to sing um that tattoo song remember
25:58it's a russian it's like a lesbian russian group they're super sick tattoo t-a-t-u
26:03i think i think we'll do that just collectively for both of us you get a say yeah it's up
26:10literally
26:10it's my say it's up to me they don't get a say right well say i think when you have
26:17seen the
26:17show you'll see there are some featured songs and i would guess that it is between my moon my man
26:24by
26:24feist and i'll believe in anything by wolf parade okay that's cute i'll take this one um i'm thinking
26:31that's a rocky theme song maybe i'm gonna fly now you know i think it could score everything
26:37i would do anything for love but i won't do that me in love
26:44which castmate would be the worst in an actual hockey fight
26:49france or no
26:51worst meaning do the most damage or lose or lose the hardest however you want to answer
26:57hudson hudson used to do mma right yeah so hudson used to do mma so he would win
27:03yeah i would cry yeah francois would would run also cry yeah and then francois and i would cry
27:11together and have a competition over that you can cry harder okay before i let you go final
27:17question you heard what justin stockman said earlier there are more books yeah so have you
27:23been thinking about more how far along are you on the more you've shot every single one
27:30not as far i'll tell you what i'm not i'm not as far i'm not as far as justin would
27:34like me to be
27:35so uh but listen if if literally justin wants more seasons that's up to yeah yeah fuck yeah let's do
27:45it we yes i do have a plan i have a plan okay help us make that happen remember heated
27:53rivalry
27:53premieres on crave on friday tell everyone i know you've seen it but watch it again on social media
28:00all of that there's two episodes on friday and then episode as of next tell everyone who will
28:06like i did with my husband tell lady's husband remind him where she is thank you all of you
28:16thank you congratulations
28:20thank you
28:22remember tell everyone on crave heated robbery friday thank you
28:26good night
28:30and
28:32and
28:34say it everybody
28:36what a story
28:38whoo
28:40whoo
28:41whoo
28:44whoo
28:45whoo
28:47whoo
28:47whoo
28:48whoo
28:48whoo
28:48whoo
28:49whoo
28:49whoo
28:49whoo
28:55whoo
28:56whoo
28:59whoo
29:00whoo
29:13whoo
29:25whoo
29:29So how did this start with you?
29:33The books or the show?
29:34The books.
29:36It started with me at my dining room table just getting struck with, I don't know, just these two characters.
29:42It appeared in my head and I just immediately sat down and wrote what became the prologue of the book.
29:47In one sitting.
29:48And then it just went from there.
29:51And are you a hockey fan?
29:53Yes.
29:54Okay, it starts there.
29:57Very, very young.
30:00And the relationship between the two guys, was that just something that popped into your head?
30:07Yeah, I just thought it would be funny.
30:14That's when I, as a comedy writer, read it and was like, oh fuck, this is a sitcom.
30:22It's a romp.
30:24It's a romp.
30:24But I really, so I was sitting over there and that group of girls, I really do want to know
30:33though, what is it?
30:34Because watching this, you guys, it's better than Fifty Shades of Grey for you guys.
30:40This is, this is huge and I actually, I'm not going to ask any questions of the audience but I
30:46do need to know, will one person here tell me what it is about this that really makes...
30:55Just human connection is really important, especially like for queer people.
30:59Yeah.
31:00It's just like that connection is so important.
31:10It's so hot.
31:11Yeah.
31:13What I'm interested in though too is because it's hot and it's two guys and it's just, it is so
31:20hot for you guys.
31:22You were embarrassed.
31:23You were like...
31:25I was kind of slapping myself because I haven't shoved myself up.
31:33No, I couldn't, I couldn't, I was coming in.
31:36Okay, but I want to ask you, so when did this come into your life?
31:41So, yeah, so during the pandemic, I started listening to Audible and this was one of the first books, I
31:48mean that's true, I'm a big reader and I never listened to Audible and a friend would be like, you
31:51listen to podcasts, like, and I couldn't read.
31:54Nobody else remembers this and I could not finish a book.
31:56I was like, why is my attention span so short?
31:58So I started listening and the first thing I did was listen to these books and I loved them.
32:02And then I did a pretty big deep dive into the genre, in which I discovered that I was writing
32:09some of these are, Rachel's a real writer and her books are funny and smart and genuine and the connections
32:18between the characters are real, I agree with you, like there's something and not, you know, romance is a largely
32:24uncritically reviewed genre and so to learn what's good at it you just have to kind of listen or read,
32:31you have to participate in it.
32:32And I listen to a lot and I can never shake the books.
32:36I love them.
32:37And then, as I kind of saw them get a bit more into the mainstream, it was really, except, I
32:43feel like I said this too many times, this Washington Post article and I was just like, oh my god,
32:46if somebody else options these, I think I'll feel crazy.
32:50And so I was like, Brendan, Brady, sitting there, who deserves a lot of credit for this.
33:02What would you like to say now is we were trying to be like a low-budget comedy company and
33:07then we turned into a premium smut company.
33:11Um, I like our origin story, I like, I'm assuming it's a villain arc, I'm really excited.
33:19Um, well, so I would think, and gay sex would be like snakes on a plane to sell, like people
33:25would want this.
33:27Was it that easy for you guys to get this made?
33:31Legendary hits.
33:34We could give it.
33:36We're not out of trouble.
33:38We used to be roommates.
33:40Um, yes, no, I, you know what, I had no idea, we had no idea.
33:44Like, here's the thing that happened, I knew these books were popular, I loved them, I had no idea.
33:50Prior to that Washington Post article, I was not sure it was adaptable.
33:54There's, you've noticed, not a lot of sex.
33:57And, but I did it.
33:59Um, but like, I did, but what happened was, we didn't pitch it, I knew I was like, I'm gonna
34:05write the first one in that way,
34:06I'm gonna use this as a proven concept because I don't, I don't know if people are gonna make, I'm
34:10gonna get execs to read this book.
34:11And as soon as we started talking about it though, Brent and I would talk, we would tell people, we
34:15were like,
34:16oh, we're not ready for this, this isn't ready yet, but we have, we optioned this series of gay hockey
34:21romances.
34:22The level of like, sorry, what did you say?
34:24The level of like, leaning in was pretty extraordinary.
34:27And then, uh, it didn't, it did not take long, it was way easier than I thought it would be.
34:33That being said, it was quite difficult initially, we had another, we had an adventure with another company,
34:40and, uh, it was the, but the question that I was, you know, like, kind of nervous with Crave too,
34:48was just like,
34:48you say you want this, but do you?
34:51Like, do you want this in theory?
34:54And then when you see the scripts, you start seeing the footage, you're like, oh, that's more than we thought
34:59we were getting for this.
35:01Um, and Crave did, right, have been amazing the entire way through.
35:05But, uh, so once it was, once it happened, and Crave was the place where I'd done other TV shows,
35:09that I did Larry Kenny with,
35:10and so I knew all these people, and, uh, but it was a departure, and it was a big swing
35:15for them.
35:16Because they don't, yeah, because they, they also just don't, they're only recently starting to do one-hour dramas at
35:21all.
35:22And so this was a big swing in a lot of ways.
35:26I, I think it worked.
35:28Yeah.
35:29Um, so, I want to know about how you found your boys.
35:36Um, because I feel like that chemistry is,
35:40but then I'm gonna, okay, so I wanna, you know what, I'm looking at, you've talked enough.
35:44Um, I do want to know what the casting process was like for both of you.
35:50Um, did you, you can-
35:51It's been too long.
35:53It's been too long, and it was drawn out, there was like, but, and, uh, it was very straightforward, besides
36:00-
36:00Well, when you read the script, was that straightforward? Like, just, you're a Wednesday?
36:06Yeah, I think immediately, as soon as I read the script, I kind of just fell in love with it,
36:10or at least the size that got sent immediately, it sort of made sense to me, in a way.
36:15Um, and I just wanted to do it, and get my hands dirty, and just jump all the way in
36:21there.
36:22And never stop.
36:24And Connor?
36:25I think for me, is this working?
36:27Yeah!
36:28I always had like an adjustment period where I'm like, how loud?
36:31Um, yeah, I remember, I remember the original, uh, breakdown.
36:37It was like, 6'3, Russian, bisexual, hockey player.
36:43And I was like, I'm not 6'3.
36:47I don't speak Russian.
36:49Um, and, uh, yeah, so I was like, I'm never gonna get this.
36:54This isn't gonna happen.
36:55I did it, heard back a month later, and did like three, three reads, and-
37:00Yeah, we are eight months later.
37:01In the Russian version?
37:02Yeah.
37:03Yeah.
37:03Because when I first saw this, I really did not believe you were not Russian.
37:08There we go.
37:09I love that.
37:10The first, the first iteration of it that I did was a little bit more like,
37:15THIS IS HOW WE WORK!
37:18That's not, that's not true.
37:20I was in for the mail!
37:23Um, and Jacob was like, I love it.
37:28Love's changing.
37:29A fun story about Connor's audition.
37:31I, uh, a friend of ours, a bunch of ours up here, Sarah Gatton, a wonderful actress,
37:35who did the voiceover for the, uh, Rookie of the Year Award.
37:39Uh, she watched a bunch of the tapes, and she loved Connor so much.
37:44This was before Hudson had even auditioned, and she said to me, she was like,
37:47We have to cast the Russian one.
37:49I was like, that one's not Russian.
37:53So you fooled her.
37:55And the boob again.
37:59Well, the, the chemistry between them is palpable.
38:04And like, so much so that you saw before, I can't not think of you guys as Shane and Ilya.
38:08Like, I, I refuse to know your names properly.
38:12Um, that was, that was a choice.
38:14Um, but how did you, cause this feels like a tall order to be able to find these guys.
38:19So how, what was that search like for you?
38:23When they did the chemistry reading, it was very obvious.
38:26And, full disclosure, the chemistry was stacked for them.
38:29And it worked.
38:31Um, and then the network was concerned that they were too young.
38:36And, we had another, I think they did another, like, tape together.
38:40Where I was like, I was like, I don't even know what this note, imagine getting this note.
38:43I was like, I don't know what this note means, but play it like you're 30.
38:48That's all the stupid fucking things to say.
38:51And, uh, I was like, play it like you're a bit more tired.
38:54And you don't want to play it.
38:56I think it sounds like a chore.
38:58Or, 80 seconds.
39:00And you're like, we're gonna do this.
39:02Or, uh, a bit more of that energy.
39:05And it worked.
39:05And it worked.
39:06But yeah, your chemistry read was amazing.
39:08From the, from the, like, and, yeah, it was just very, it became very clear.
39:13At least to me, very quickly.
39:16Um, Francois?
39:18Yeah.
39:19Francois, who I believe is one of the greatest actors we have in this country.
39:22Um, what I love so much is that, so I've seen all of this and you don't know what's coming.
39:35It's amazing.
39:36You might, actually, because you've got the books.
39:37But, um, but what I love is when your little, like, little thumbnail up there is showed.
39:44Those girls are like, please.
39:46So, um, how did you become involved in this?
39:51Um, thank you, Emily.
39:54Of course, this isn't working.
39:55Good job.
39:56No.
39:58I don't think it is.
40:00Um, that was not.
40:02Uh, thank you, Emily.
40:04Um, well, I've known Jacob for, we were counting earlier, 17 years now.
40:09Um, and when he gave me the call for this, I was unaware of the Rachel Reed, gay universe.
40:16Um, and, uh, I know that Scott Hunter now is a beloved character.
40:22Um, but there was something to the writing, and I know you only have just, like, a tiny little tease
40:31of it, but there's something in the writing of this, um, like, alpha-strong Captain America male, uh, that is
40:41just profoundly good.
40:44Uh, and there's something that really moved me.
40:47And there's, um, the words that Jacob found to express that range so true, uh, that I was, I just
40:57felt like I, I had to save him at one point.
40:59And, um, I'm just so glad to be in such good company.
41:03I'm so proud of being blonde.
41:06I, I did hear from a source that you wanted to dye your hair bleach blonde for this.
41:12And was that just, uh, a character choice, or?
41:15Well, the character is blonde with blue eyes in the books, and I knew I was gonna get shit.
41:20From the fandom.
41:22And I was also blonde, I had just, no, the thing is, I had dyed my hair blonde for another
41:25movie.
41:26And I was like, can we just use this mic? I'm just kinda tired.
41:30Uh, and Jacob was like, no.
41:33So I'm a little auburn.
41:34Um, you know.
41:36Um, Rachel, when, just, so having something of yours adapted, um, what was that process like, on a, kinda, day
41:46-to-day basis?
41:48Oh, like an emotional way?
41:49Oh, like seeing somebody interpret what you've done.
41:54Yeah.
41:54Yeah.
41:55Jacob, this is not, I don't do this every day.
41:58Ever.
42:00It, it was an absolute dream from the very first moment that I, I spoke to Jacob the first time.
42:07I, like, cause you laid out exactly everything that was important about the books and the characters.
42:12You just got them right away.
42:14So, I never worried again after that.
42:17Cause, you know, not everybody gets, um, a dream adaptation, and gets to be this included, and gets to be
42:25this respected.
42:26Having their source material and respected this much, and, I don't know, just thank you.
42:39You saw, you saw what it's like.
42:43It's crazy.
42:46Um, I know that Brendan is there and not here, but if he was here, would we talk about the
42:53sale to HBO?
42:54Yeah.
42:55Yeah, we would.
42:57Can you say it in French?
42:59Oh yeah, uh, I want to say, um, first of all, thank you for coming.
43:29And I'm just saying in French, they were super happy.
43:32That HBO bought the show.
43:35For all the reasons I think it's just as exciting for us, it's fucking crazy.
43:40And we're so excited that it's happening at the same time as in Canada and of course our Australian friends.
43:46I knew it as soon as I read it that it would sell worldwide and it would use the same
43:50clothes.
43:51It was the first time.
43:55And if you don't trust an actor.
44:02No, the whole thing has been overwhelming and I know there's a lot of fans here and really we owe
44:08so much of this to you.
44:11You know, we, Brendan and I, sold this show and we were like, oh, there's fans.
44:17They're gonna show up and we were like, I don't know, there's no obvious road map and I certainly never
44:27felt anything like what it's like to be supported by you guys.
44:31Rachel tried to warn me.
44:34But it's, yeah, it's just been absolutely crazy.
44:37And we, I don't, I have, you know, people have asked me, they're like, did the fans make this up?
44:41I don't know.
44:41Is the answer, I don't know, but I know it did not hurt.
44:46That was amazing.
44:47And it was amazing for everybody to see online.
44:49But like, wow, there's a vocal and active group of people that want to see the show.
44:54And so that's, it's, that's crazy.
44:56And it's amazing.
44:57And it's very gratifying.
44:59Speaking to the fact that I, what I want to wrap this up is one, one small question.
45:06So the sex scenes, um, yes.
45:12So they were really fucking hot, like really hot.
45:17And how was that, I don't want to ask you.
45:21How was that on set to, to kind of, you're going to get asked this a lot later on.
45:29So I'm just prepping you just to practice.
45:32Um, maybe just speak like, I don't want to say a word, you say a word, you say a word.
45:37No.
45:38Okay.
45:39To be honest, like, I don't think Hudson and I are very squeamish or weird about any of that.
45:45So, I mean, it's one of those things where, you know, someone else is uncomfortable or,
45:50you know, has a different way to think about things or has certain boundaries that need
45:54to be respected, you know, it's no boundaries.
45:56Yeah.
45:57Then it becomes, then it becomes a dance, right?
45:59Like, you know, you're always kind of being like, is this okay?
46:02Is this okay?
46:03Is this okay?
46:03We kind of, from the jump, with Jacob and Cheyla, our intimacy coordinator, were like,
46:08I was like, you can do whatever you want to me, however you want to me.
46:13And it was kind of vice versa.
46:15And so, yeah.
46:17If that makes any sense.
46:19I was just like, I'll do anything.
46:21Let's go.
46:22Let's get in there.
46:29And it was–
46:35What I'll say is, cuz–
46:36That was kind of a record.
46:38We took a–
46:40They are both very comfortable.
46:42And this show would not be what it is without these two,
46:44and without the particular chemistry that they have,
46:47and their comfort level with each other which was amazing and also a great
46:52reminder that some of the on set nudity stuff is actually about the crew so when
46:56you see things like Hudson you have to wear a robe you can't just walk around
47:00like that because it's hot in the hotel room or whatever. It was a living experience for all of us
47:07in some ways, right?
47:09You remember that? It was just so much fun to be in my little ballerina slipper, which is what it
47:15looks like
47:16uh, I kept so many of them
47:21We did have a wonderful intimacy coordinator who really, I mean, she was really good and we took the part
47:32very seriously
47:34We tried to choreograph these sex scenes like dances so that we were just going through beats and emotions so
47:38that we could allow for, much like a dance, you don't have to think about the next movement
47:42You could just think about the connection and do that because that was always, you know
47:46The language of this show, what the fans love, what I love too, is that like this is a sexual
47:51relationship and so we can't shy away from that
47:54But we also have to make sure that these sex scenes are not just gratuitous sex scenes
47:57We're learning about these guys and we're learning about their relationship
48:00And so it's quite important that they be very specific and without specificity, it's not interesting
48:05It's just like a mess of bodies and you can see that anywhere, you know
48:09It's not sexy either, it's not sexy without that
48:11And it is so...
48:14Intimacy
48:14I know I'm not good at intimacy, but this is inspiring
48:23And thank you all for making this
48:26Thank you guys
48:34Thank you to everyone here at Imagination
48:38Thank you to Emily for coming in and doing this and being amazing at it
48:46Thank you
48:46And thank you to everyone that's here at Prairie, Mexicans and this whole team
48:49We really appreciate everything from Prairie Quebec
48:53Thank you so much
48:54And thank you you guys for coming tonight
48:56We appreciate you
48:57Have a good night
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