A few months ago Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were both working as waiters. Now they are the stars of Heated Rivalry, one of the most talked-about shows in the world.
Adapted from a novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid, who writes sexually explicit queer romance novels about hockey players, Heated Rivalry chronicles a forbidden love affair between two rival ice hockey players.
The show was not an obvious runaway hit. It was created and produced in Canada on a minimal budget - reportedly less than C$5m ($3.6m; £2.6m) per episode. Its six episodes were filmed in Ontario in just over a month, with a cast led mostly by unknowns.
But since its debut in North America last November, Storrie, who plays Russian player Ilya Rozanov, and Williams, who plays Canadian Shane Hollander, have wracked up millions of fans, acted as torchbearers ahead of the Milan Winter Olympics, and appeared on a host of late-night TV shows.
Storrie is set to host Saturday Night Live at the end of this month, while Williams - who reportedly still lives with his mum in Vancouver - recently shared a stage with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at an Ottawa film industry event.
The explosion into popular culture has propelled its lead actors and the team behind the scenes into the stratosphere, tying with Breaking Bad for the highest-rated episode ever on IMDb, while the show is now streaming globally.
Jenny Lewis, one of the casting directors who found Storrie and Williams, noted, We feel like proud mommas. The series has not only received critical acclaim but has changed lives, including boosting the sales for Reid's books significantly.
It challenges the norms of an industry so often dominated by significant budgets and big names, emphasizing talent and authentic storytelling over social media influence. As the show gears up for a second series, its creators hope to continue prioritizing Canadian talent while redefining television narratives.
