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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
16:02he
16:02he introduced you to e-drival
16:06a lot about me
16:07but here's how i'll sell the show to people
16:09he dropped me off at the train station this morning
16:11and i was like
16:12i am so excited tonight
16:14fucking going to moderate this gay hot romance show
16:18and i'm so horny about it
16:21and he was like show me a scene
16:24i showed him a scene and he was like
16:26alright
16:28he was like i'm coming on the train with you dad
16:30and he was like
16:31i was like can't wait for you to get home
16:33and i'm like you better wait up
16:36um
16:37anyway
16:38alright
16:39so uh
16:40thank you for
16:41that's the right answer
16:42everybody
16:42my smutty and horny
16:44um
16:45jacob
16:47switching gears a little bit
16:48no
16:50please
16:52um
16:53you said in a recent interview that it was really
16:56that you wanted to maintain Shane Hollander's cultural identity
17:00yeah of course
17:01you did not want to whitewash this character in this sport
17:04oh
17:05can you talk about why that was important to you
17:08um
17:08yeah i mean i for
17:10i guess kind of for me for the obvious reasons
17:12there are not a lot of
17:15there are not a lot of people who are not white in the NHL
17:18and
17:19there are
17:20not a lot of people who are not white as leads in romances either
17:25and so that was a huge part of it and i think it's a lot about
17:29i i think it it's it's a lot about Shane's personality
17:33um
17:34is that he
17:35is this kind of outsider
17:37and i think there's something very interesting
17:40that happens when you read a book and your character's name is Shane Hollander
17:43that your brain can whitewash him in a really easy way
17:46and uh 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
17:56besides just honoring what's in the book
17:57i mean like it was never a question because in the book
17:59like i wouldn't question that period
18:01but then i also wanted to and we talked about this
18:05because i wanted to address it
18:06like i wanted him to talk about it a little bit
18:08because there aren't
18:10besides and this show is not Nick Suzuki fan fiction
18:14uh Rachel Reid will tell you that
18:16though it because and 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
18:25aside there are 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
18:35and yeah it would be monstrous just to make him white
18:40well as you said
18:41a confession
18:43i'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
18:48even though i am of East Asian background
18:51Shane Hollander in my mind
18:53was not Asian
18:55even as an East Asian person
18:58so i really appreciate this effort
19:00and so to you Hudson
19:02what does it mean to you
19:03coming from your background
19:05to be able to play this character in this story
19:07that so many people are going to see
19:09it means a lot
19:12my mom told me at one point
19:14that when i wanted i told her i was going to be an actor
19:16she said it scared her because
19:20she thought her being an Asian lady
19:23that it would kind of limit my possibilities for roles i could get
19:27because she hadn't really seen
19:29people like her
19:32on the screen
19:33and then when i booked a role
19:35due to the fact
19:36there was a prerequisite that i am half Asian
19:41i think it just kind of
19:44made her see that things are changing
19:46and there are new possibilities
19:47so that really felt amazing
19:50yeah
19:55Connor
19:57the majority of the fans of this book
20:01are women and queer
20:04and this show serves that audience
20:07prioritizes that audience
20:10as a part of this team
20:14how do you feel to be part of a show that
20:18prioritizes an audience that is often
20:20neglected underserved
20:23how do i how do i feel
20:24you personally yeah
20:25yeah i mean
20:27i i i've said this before
20:29i feel like
20:31getting into
20:33niche
20:34specific human experiences
20:36whether it's
20:38Shane being
20:39you know half Asian
20:40or Ilia being a foreigner
20:42both of them being queer
20:44i think getting into these really
20:47niche specific human experiences
20:49actually really give you
20:51a chance to open up
20:53and let people connect
20:54you know if it was super generic
20:55then it's kind of like
20:56it's so vanilla that
20:58there's kind of nothing to stick
20:59you know i was really surprised
21:01when i found out that
21:02most of the demographics of people
21:04who love rachel's books
21:07are predominantly women
21:09because i think on the surface
21:10you would think you know
21:11mm romance and you would think men
21:14i think i think those two
21:17communities just really relate
21:19to the feeling of being
21:21i'm in a box
21:22that box says i can be a b or c
21:25and i feel
21:26capable of more than that
21:28and i think these two characters
21:29feel that way
21:30you know living in the gray on some level
21:32feeling like what's expected of me
21:34what the world wants for me
21:35and what i am or not
21:36always cohesive so
21:39and i definitely relate to that too
21:40you know so it feels very good to
21:42to be in that conversation
21:43it's also just way more interesting
21:45to i think appeal to that
21:48than you know
21:49middle middle middle america or something
21:53you know
21:54this ain't the taylor sheridan universe
21:56thank you
21:59i guess that i do have a show called land man
22:04it's gonna be land man oil man truck man
22:07so filthy
22:09you mentioned mm fiction right
22:11huge on tick tock
22:13a book talk
22:14sorry
22:14bl boys love is exploding in popularity
22:19in the eastern markets
22:20in broadcast but we haven't seen
22:25shows
22:26the books yes but the shows in the western market
22:29really take off you are leading a movement
22:32you are
22:33i agree
22:34i think that what we've seen is a lot of it skewing ya in the west right and i think
22:41i've said this a bunch of times
22:42i would love to be a gay 14 year old or 15 year old now like to have grown up
22:48with heart stopper and young royals and all these like they're wonderful they're also for young people so they're sexually
22:55neutered and i think that this is that for grownups
22:58um because we get to have our fun too and as cool as it is to wait six episodes for
23:04people to hold hands
23:05it's also fun to watch them bang
23:08so
23:11we do that
23:12bang bang bang
23:15so yeah so that's what this show but i think that like i think that that's the that's the part
23:20that besides uh uh happy endings uh that's what gay people really don't get i didn't mean it that way
23:28i get it i hear it
23:30uh but like yeah we don't get happy endings and we don't get to see ourselves have satisfying sex
23:35we get like kind of like dirty secret trysts and then we get it's like you know that's that was
23:42the joy of this show to me and of rachel's books and getting to explore this world was just that
23:47this is this is a just a complete love story about two people who uh yeah who are obsessed with
23:55each other and can't stop bucking and then realize they're in love
23:58bucking is great
23:59yeah agreed amen
24:01um all right
24:02we have three minutes left so we're gonna do a lightning round ready
24:05it's just one pop song
24:08okay ready
24:08who breaks character first
24:10what was the question
24:12who breaks character first
24:13Hudson
24:13Hudson
24:15i'm always a character
24:15you don't get to say that
24:17i'm the character right now
24:18who is most like their character
24:21Sophie
24:22Sophie
24:23Sophie
24:23Sophie
24:23yes
24:24yeah
24:26uh
24:27not Francois
24:31okay so
24:34lightning round
24:35yes
24:36lightning
24:36shane and ilia's couple name is holanov
24:38no it's shalia
24:39it's a holanov
24:40oh
24:41shalia
24:44or holanov
24:47i won
24:49i lost
24:49i won
24:50shalia is
24:52no
24:52shalia
24:53no
24:53okay
24:54shalia sounds like a thing you have
24:57guys i think i have shalia
24:59um so
25:00how do we combine connor's story and hudson williams
25:04what are we on stories
25:05no
25:06uh
25:07hudner
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 gonna shit myself
25:18hudcon
25:19hudcon
25:19hudcon
25:22hudcon
25:29hudcon
25:30hudcon
25:32hudcon
25:34hudcon
25:51hudcon
25:53remember it's a Russian lesbian Russian group they're super sick I think I think
26:06we'll do that yeah it's up literally it's my say it's up to me they don't get a
26:14say right well say I think when you have seen the show you'll see there are some
26:19featured songs and I would guess that it is between My Moon My Man by Feist and I'll Believe
26:26in Anything by Wolf Parade okay that's cute I'll take this one I'm thinking the Rocky theme song
26:32maybe I'm gonna fly now you know I think it could score everything I would do anything for love but
26:39I won't do that me and love which castmate would be the worst in an actual hockey fight
26:49or no worst meaning do the most damage ever you want to answer Hudson Hudson used to do MMA right
27:00yeah so Hudson used to do MMA so he would win yeah I would cry yeah Francois would would run
27:08also cry
27:09yeah and then Francois and I would cry together and have a competition over that you can cry harder
27:15okay before I let you go final question you heard what Justin Stockman said earlier
27:19there are more books yeah so have you been thinking about oh yeah how far along are you on the
27:27more
27:27you've shot every single one not as far I'll tell you what I'm not I'm not as far as I'm
27:33not as far as
27:34Justin would like me to be so uh but listen if if literally Justin wants more seasons that's up to
27:44yeah yeah fuck yeah let's do it we yes I do have a plan I have a plan okay help
27:50us make that happen
27:51remember heated rivalry premieres on Crave on Friday tell everyone I know you've seen it but watch it again
27:59on social media all of that there's two episodes on Friday and then episode as of next tell everyone
28:05who will like I did with my husband tell Lainey's husband remind him where she is
28:13thank you all of you thank you congratulations thank you remember tell everyone on Crave heated rivalry
28:25Friday thank you good night
28:30and
28:34say it everybody
28:36what a story
28:57oh and Rachel
29:16well yeah Rachel I want to start with you
29:28so how
29:30did this start
29:31the books or the show
29:34the books
29:36it started with me at my dining room table just getting struck with um I don't know just these
29:41two characters just appeared in my head and I just immediately sat down and wrote what became
29:45the prologue of the book you could one sitting so and then it just went from there
29:51and are you a hockey fan
29:53yes
29:54okay it starts there
29:57very very young
29:58yeah and um the relationship between the two guys was that just something that popped into your head
30:07yeah I just thought it would be funny
30:13okay so that's when I as a comedy writer
30:18read it and was like oh fuck this is a sitcom
30:22it's a rom
30:24but I really so I was sitting over there and I really do want to know though what is it
30:34because watching this you guys it's better than Fifty Shades of Grey for you guys this is huge and I
30:43actually I'm not going to ask any questions of the audience but I do need to know will one person
30:47here tell me what it is about this that really makes
30:55just human connection is just human connection is really important especially like the queer people
30:59yeah
31:00that connection is so important
31:12what I'm not going to say is it's hot and it's two guys
31:17and it's just it is so hot for you guys
31:22you were embarrassed
31:23you were like
31:25I was kind of slapping myself
31:27because I haven't shoved myself up
31:33no I couldn't I couldn't
31:34I was coming there
31:36okay but I want to ask you
31:37so when did this come into your life
31:40so yeah
31:42so during the pandemic
31:44I started listening to Audible
31:45and this was one of the first books
31:47I mean that's true
31:48I'm a big reader
31:49and I never listened to Audible
31:50and a friend would be like
31:51you listen to podcasts
31:52and I couldn't read
31:53nobody else remembers this
31:55and I could not finish a book
31:56I was like why is my attention span so short
31:58so I started listening
31:59and the first thing I did was listen to these books
32:01and I loved them
32:02and then I did a pretty big deep dive into the genre
32:07in which I discovered that
32:08I was writing some of these are
32:11Rachel's a real writer
32:12and the books are funny and smart and genuine
32:16and the connections between the characters are real
32:19I agree with you
32:20like there's something
32:20and not
32:22you know
32:22romance is a largely uncritically reviewed genre
32:28and so to learn what's good at it
32:29you just have to kind of listen or read
32:31you have to participate in it
32:32and I listen to a lot
32:34and I can never shake the books
32:35I love them
32:37and then as I kind of saw them
32:39get a bit more into the mainstream
32:40it was really
32:42except I feel like I said something
32:43this Washington Post article
32:45and I was just like
32:45oh my god
32:46if somebody else options these
32:48I think I'll feel crazy
32:49and so I was like
32:50Brendan Brady
32:52sitting there
32:53who deserves a lot of credit for this
33:02what we like to say now
33:03is we were trying to be
33:05like a low-budget comedy company
33:07and then we turned into a premium smut company
33:12I like our origin story
33:15I'm assuming it's a villain arc
33:17I'm really excited
33:19so I would think
33:21and gay sex
33:22would be like snakes on a plane
33:24to sell
33:25like people would want this
33:27wasn't that easy
33:28for you guys
33:29to get this made
33:30legendary mints
33:34we could give it
33:37we used to be roommates
33:39um
33:41yes
33:41no
33:42you know what
33:43I had no idea
33:44we had no idea
33:44like here's the thing
33:45that happened
33:46I knew these books were popular
33:47I loved them
33:48I had no idea
33:50prior to that
33:51Washington Post article
33:52I was not sure
33:52it was adaptable
33:53there's
33:54you've noticed
33:55not a lot of sex
33:58but I did it
33:59but like I did
34:01but what happened was
34:03we didn't pitch it
34:04I knew I was like
34:04I'm going to write the first one
34:05in that way
34:06I'm going to use this
34:07as a proven concept
34:07because I don't
34:08I don't know if people are going to
34:09I'm going to get execs
34:10to read this book
34:11and as soon as we started
34:12talking about it though
34:14Brent and I
34:14we would tell people
34:15we were like
34:15oh we're not ready
34:17this isn't ready yet
34:18but we have
34:18we optioned this series
34:20gay hockey romances
34:22the level of like
34:23sorry what did you say
34:24the level of like
34:25leaning in
34:26it was pretty extraordinary
34:27and then
34:28it didn't
34:29it did not take long
34:30it was way easier
34:31than I thought it would be
34:33that being said
34:34it was quite difficult
34:36initially
34:37we had another
34:39we had an adventure
34:39with another company
34:40and
34:42it was the
34:44but the question
34:45that I was
34:45you know
34:46that I was kind of nervous
34:47with Crave too
34:48was just like
34:48you say you want this
34:50but do you
34:51like
34:51do you want this
34:53in theory
34:53and then when you see
34:54the scripts
34:55you start seeing
34:55the footage
34:56you're like
34:56oh
34:58that's more than
34:58we thought
34:59we were getting
35:00for this
35:01and Crave did
35:02right
35:02have been amazing
35:03the entire way through
35:04but
35:05so once it was
35:06once it happened
35:07and Crave was the place
35:08where I'd done other TV shows
35:09that I did Larry Kenny with
35:10and so I knew
35:11all these people
35:12and
35:13but it was a departure
35:14and it was a big swing
35:15for them
35:15because they don't
35:17yeah
35:17because they
35:17they also just don't
35:19they're only recently
35:20starting to do
35:20one-on-one dramas
35:21at all
35:22and so this was
35:23a big swing
35:24in a lot of ways
35:26I think it worked
35:30so I want to know
35:31about how you found
35:35your boys
35:37because I feel like
35:39that chemistry
35:39so then I'm going to
35:40ask Kate
35:41so I want to
35:42you know what
35:42I'm looking at
35:43you've talked enough
35:45I do want to know
35:46what the casting process
35:47was like
35:48for both of you
35:50did you
35:51it's been too long
35:52it's been too long
35:54and it was drawn out
35:55there was like
35:56but
35:57it was very
35:59straightforward
36:00besides
36:00when you read the script
36:01was that straightforward
36:03like just
36:04a Wednesday
36:06yeah
36:06I think immediately
36:07as soon as I read the script
36:08I kind of just
36:09fell in love with it
36:10or at least
36:10besides it got sent
36:11immediately
36:12it sort of
36:13made sense to me
36:14in a way
36:16and I just
36:17wanted to do it
36:18and get my hands dirty
36:19and just jump
36:20all the way in there
36:22and never stop
36:24and Connor
36:25I think for me
36:26is this working?
36:27yeah
36:27I always had like
36:28an adjustment period
36:29where I'm like
36:30how loud
36:30what could I do
36:32yeah
36:33I remember
36:34I remember
36:35the original
36:36breakdown
36:37it was like
36:386'3
36:39Russian
36:40bisexual
36:41hockey players
36:43and I was like
36:44I'm not 6'3
36:47I don't speak Russian
36:48and yeah
36:52so I was like
36:53I'm never gonna get this
36:54this isn't gonna happen
36:55I did it
36:56heard back a month later
36:57and did like
36:58three reads
37:00and here we are
37:018 months later
37:02yeah
37:03because when I first saw this
37:05I really did not believe
37:07you were not Russian
37:08there we go
37:09I love that
37:09the first iteration of it
37:12that I did
37:13was a little bit more like
37:15this is how we work
37:18that's not true
37:19Isaac through the mouth
37:23and Jacob was like
37:25I love it
37:28love changing
37:29a fun story about
37:30Connor's audition
37:31a friend of ours
37:33a bunch of ours
37:34Sarah Gatton
37:35a wonderful actress
37:35who did the voiceover
37:36for the rookie of the year award
37:40she watched a bunch of the tapes
37:42and she loved Connor so much
37:44this was before Hudson
37:45had even auditioned
37:46and she said to me
37:47she was like
37:47we have to cast the Russian one
37:50that was not Russian
37:53so you fooled her
37:55and the boobie gave me
37:59well the chemistry between them
38:02is palpable
38:03and like so much though
38:04that you saw before
38:05I can't not think of you guys
38:07as Shane and Ilya
38:08like I refuse to know
38:10your names properly
38:13that was a choice
38:14but how did you
38:16because this feels like
38:17a tall order
38:17to be able to find
38:18these guys
38:19so how
38:19what was that search
38:21like for you?
38:23when they did the chemistry
38:24it was very obvious
38:25and full disclosure
38:27the chemistry was stacked
38:28for them
38:29and it worked
38:31and then the network
38:33was concerned
38:33that they were too young
38:34and we had another
38:37I think they did another
38:38like take together
38:39where I was like
38:41I was like
38:41I don't even know
38:42what this note
38:43imagine getting this note
38:43I was like
38:44I don't know what this note means
38:45but play it like you're 30
38:48all the stupid fucking things to say
38:51I was like
38:52play 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 sacks
39:00like we're gonna do this
39:02or
39:03a bit more of that energy
39:05and it worked
39:05and it worked
39:06but yeah
39:07your chemistry read
39:08was amazing
39:08from the
39:09from the
39:09like and
39:10yeah
39:11it was just very
39:12it became very clear
39:13at least to me
39:14very quickly
39:17Francois
39:18yeah
39:18Francois who I believe
39:20is one of the greatest actors
39:22we have in this country
39:22um
39:29what I love so much
39:30is that
39:31so I've seen all of this
39:32and
39:34you don't know what's coming
39:35it's amazing
39:35you might actually
39:36because you've got the books
39:37but what I loved
39:40was when your little
39:41like little thumbnail
39:42up there
39:43showed
39:43those girls are like
39:44please come here
39:46so um
39:47how did you
39:49become involved in this
39:50um
39:52thank you Emily
39:54of course this isn't working
39:55good job
39:57I don't think it is
40:00um
40:00that was not
40:03thank you Emily
40:04well
40:05I've known Jacob for
40:06we were coming earlier
40:0717 years now
40:08um
40:09and when he
40:10gave me the call for this
40:12I was unaware
40:12of the
40:13Rachel Reed
40:14game universe
40:16um
40:17and uh
40:18I know that Scott Hunter
40:20now is a beloved
40:21character
40:22um
40:25but there was something
40:27to the writing
40:28and I know
40:29you only have
40:30just like a tiny
40:31little tease
40:31of it
40:32but
40:32there's something
40:33in the writing
40:34of this
40:35um
40:36like alpha
40:38strong
40:38Captain America
40:39male
40:40uh
40:41that is just
40:42profoundly
40:42good
40:44uh
40:45and there's something
40:46that really moved me
40:47and there's
40:48um
40:49the words that
40:50Jacob found
40:51to express that
40:52range so true
40:54uh
40:55that I was
40:56I just felt like
40:57I had to
40:58say them
40:58at one point
40:59and um
41:00I'm just so glad
41:02to be in such good company
41:03I'm so proud
41:03of being blonde
41:06I did hear
41:08from a source
41:09that you wanted
41:10to dye your hair
41:11bleach blonde
41:12for this
41:12and was that
41:13just a character
41:14choice or
41:15the character
41:16is blonde
41:16with blue eyes
41:17in the books
41:17and I knew
41:17I was gonna get shit
41:20from the fandom
41:21and I was also
41:22blonde
41:23I had just
41:23no
41:23the thing is
41:24I had dyed my hair
41:25blonde
41:25for another movie
41:26and I was like
41:27can you just use this
41:27my hair's kind of tired
41:30and Jacob's like
41:31no
41:32so I'm a little
41:33auburn
41:34um
41:37Rachel
41:37when
41:38just
41:39so having
41:39something of yours
41:40adapted
41:41um
41:42what was that
41:43process like
41:44on a
41:45kind of
41:45day-to-day basis
41:48like an emotional
41:49way
41:49like seeing somebody
41:51interpret
41:51what you've done
41:53yeah
41:54Jacob
41:55this is not
41:56I don't do this
41:56every day
41:58ever
42:00it was an absolute
42:02dream from the
42:03very first moment
42:04that I
42:04I spoke to Jacob
42:06the first time
42:06I like
42:07cause you laid out
42:08exactly everything
42:09that was important
42:11about the books
42:12and the characters
42:12that you just got
42:13them right away
42:13so
42:14I never
42:15worried again
42:16after that
42:17cause you know
42:17not everybody gets
42:18um
42:19a dream adaptation
42:21and
42:22gets to be this
42:23included
42:24and gets to be
42:25disrespected
42:26having their source
42:27material
42:28respected this much
42:29and
42:29I don't know
42:30just thank you
42:41what it's like
42:43it's crazy
42:46I know that
42:47Brendan is
42:49there
42:49and not here
42:50but if he was here
42:51would we talk about
42:53the sale to HBO
42:54yeah
42:55how we went
42:57can you say it in
42:59French
42:59oh yeah
43:00oui
43:01ben je vais vous
43:02dire premièrement
43:02merci beaucoup
43:03d'être venu
43:04tous les amis
43:08et
43:08les gens de France
43:09est de près
43:10évidemment
43:11on doublage
43:12pour
43:12si vous voulez
43:13écouter comme ça
43:14puis
43:16la dernière chose
43:16c'est que oui
43:17on est super
43:17c'est d'être
43:18d'être
43:20achetés par une
43:21HBO
43:21c'est un
43:22en étant
43:22c'est un rêve
43:23nous
43:23d'être sur
43:24des ondes
43:25comme ça
43:25aux États-Unis
43:26c'est quelque chose
43:27de super spécial
43:28évidemment
43:28on
43:29and
43:30and
43:30I'm just
43:30saying
43:30in
43:31French
43:31they were
43:32super
43:32happy
43:32that HBO
43:33bought
43:33the show
43:35for all the reasons
43:36I think
43:37it's just as exciting
43:38for us
43:38it's fucking
43:39crazy
43:39and
43:40we're so excited
43:41it's happening
43:42at the same time
43:43as in Canada
43:44and of course
43:44our Australian
43:45friends
43:46and
43:46I knew it
43:47as soon as I read
43:48it
43:48that it would
43:49sell worldwide
43:50I think it would
43:50use the same
43:50already
43:51just
43:51first
43:52and
43:55if you don't
43:57trust that
43:57after
44:02No, the whole thing has been, you know, overwhelming, and I know there's a lot of fans here, and really,
44:07we owe so much of this to you.
44:11You know, we, Brennan and I, sold this show, we were like, oh, there's fans.
44:17They're gonna show up, and then we were like, I don't know, but there's no obvious road map,
44:24and I certainly never felt anything like what it's like to be supported by you guys.
44:31Rachel tried to warn me, but 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, is the answer, I don't know, but I know it did not hurt.
44:46That was amazing, and it was amazing for everybody to see online, but like, wow, there's a vocal and active
44:51group of people
44:53that want to see the show, and so that's, it's, that's crazy, and it's amazing, and it's very gratifying.
44:59Speaking to the fans, yes, I, I, what I want to wrap this up with one, one small question.
45:06So the sex scenes, um, yes.
45:12So they were really fucking hot, like, really hot, and how was that, I don't want to ask you, how
45:21was that on set?
45:24Uh, to, to, kind of, you're gonna get asked this a lot later on, so I'm just prepping you just
45:31to practice.
45:32Um, maybe you just speak, like, I don't want to say a word, you stand where you stand.
45:37You know, okay.
45:39To be honest, like, I don't think Hudson and I are very squeamish or weird about any of that, so,
45:45I mean, it's one of those things where, you know, someone else is uncomfortable,
45:49or, you know, has a different way to think about things, or has certain boundaries that need to be respected,
45:55you know, it's no boundaries.
45:56Yeah.
45:57Then it becomes, then it becomes a dance, right? Like, you know, you're always kind of being like, is this
46:01okay, is this okay?
46:03We kind of, from the jump, with Jacob and Cheyla, our intimacy coordinator, were like, I was like, you can
46:09do whatever you want to me, however you want to me.
46:13And it was kind of vice versa, and so, yeah.
46:17If that makes any sense.
46:19I was like, I'll do anything! Let's go! Let's get in there!
46:35What I'll say is, cause, that was a record. We took a, we, they are both very comfortable.
46:42And this show would not be what it is without these two, and without the particular chemistry that they have,
46:47and their comfort level with each other, which is amazing.
46:50Um, and also a great reminder that some of the on-set nudity stuff is actually about the crew.
46:56So when you say things like, Hudson, you have to wear a robe.
46:58You can't just walk around like that, walking around, because it's hot in the hotel room, or whatever.
47:05Uh, it was a living experience for all of us, in some ways. Right? You remember that.
47:10It was so much fun to be in my little ballerina slipper.
47:13I know.
47:14I loved his little pouch.
47:16Which is what it looks like.
47:16Uh, I kept so many of them.
47:20Yeah.
47:21Yeah.
47:21But we did, we did have a wonderful intimacy coordinator, I mean, Chela Hunter, who really, I mean, she was
47:29really good.
47:31And we took this part very seriously.
47:34We tried to choreograph these next scenes like dances, so that we were just going through beats and emotions,
47:38so that we could allow for, much like a dance, for like, you don't have to think about the next
47:42movement,
47:42you could just think about the connection, and do that.
47:45Because that was always, you know, the language of this show, what the fans love, what I love too,
47:50is that like, this is a sexual relationship, 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.
47:58We're learning about these guys, and we're learning about their relationship.
48:01And so it's quite important that they be very specific.
48:03And 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, and it is so-
48:12That's for intimacy.
48:13Intimacy.
48:14Intimacy.
48:15I know I'm not good at intimacy, but this is inspiring.
48:21So, and 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.
48:46And thank you to everyone that's here at Prairie, Mexico, and this whole team.
48:50We really appreciate everything from Prairie Quebec.
48:53Thank you so much.
48:54And thank you guys for coming tonight.
48:56We appreciate you.
48:57Have a good night.
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