Watch Connor Storrie before ‘Heated Rivalry’ now

Connor Storrie landed the role of Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov in the buzzy HBO Max and Crave series Heated Rivalry, yet most viewers still know little about the work that came before. Tracking down his earlier credits shows a steady climb through small features, prestige streaming, and studio cameos that now look like deliberate steps toward a leading turn.

Early feature debut

Storrie’s first credited film role arrived in the 2023 indie drama Riley, where he played Liam Hauser. The low-budget coming-of-age story gave him a grounded dramatic showcase before any franchise or sports-romance spotlight reached him.

Shot on a modest scale, Riley screened at a handful of festivals and later landed on VOD platforms that still carry it. For audiences now searching Connor Storrie movies and TV shows, the title functions as the earliest marker of his screen presence.

Critics at the time noted his quiet intensity in supporting scenes, a quality that later helped him anchor romantic tension opposite Hudson Williams in Heated Rivalry. The project also confirmed he had already moved to Los Angeles and was auditioning while waiting tables.

Prestige television entry

That same year Storrie booked a guest spot on Hulu’s limited series Tiny Beautiful Things, adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s advice columns and starring Kathryn Hahn. His appearance placed him inside a writers-room favorite that drew strong reviews for its ensemble work.

The role required him to hold scenes with established television actors in a compressed production schedule. Industry trackers listed the credit alongside his film debut, signaling early momentum that few outside casting circles noticed at the time.

Streamers still carry the full season, so viewers chasing Connor Storrie movies and TV shows can queue it without hunting physical media. The experience also introduced him to the kind of prestige-adjacent environment that later eased his transition into network-adjacent franchise work.

Blockbuster cameo

In 2024 Storrie appeared as a Young Inmate in Todd Phillips’s musical sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. The part was brief yet placed him on set with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga during a heavily marketed studio release.

Press coverage at the time called the appearance his most visible pre-Heated Rivalry credit, and studio insiders later confirmed the scene tested well enough to survive multiple cuts. Availability on Max now makes the cameo an easy add-on for anyone mapping his trajectory.

The experience exposed him to large-scale production logistics and press cycles, lessons that proved useful once Heated Rivalry became a social-media talking point. It also marked the first time his name appeared in wide-release marketing materials.

Continued indie work

Even as auditions for bigger projects increased, Storrie stayed attached to smaller productions. One such title, the 2025 indie April X, surfaced on niche streaming services and festival lineups while Heated Rivalry was already in post-production.

These limited-release projects kept him working with emerging directors and cinematographers outside the studio system. They also supplied fresh reels that casting directors could reference during the final rounds for Rozanov.

Compleatists hunting every Connor Storrie movies and TV shows entry can locate April X on specialty platforms, though its primary value lies in showing how he maintained momentum between the Joker shoot and the sports-romance pilot order.

Recent guest arc

Paramount+ expanded Storrie’s role on Criminal Minds: Evolution into a multi-episode arc as Lance Kingston, a narcissist stalker suspect. The darker material aired around the same window as Heated Rivalry’s first-season rollout, giving audiences a tonal contrast to his romantic lead work.

Producers initially planned a single-episode appearance, yet test screenings prompted additional scenes that aired across the first season’s back half. The storyline leaned into psychological tension rather than physical action, another range check for an actor previously known for quieter indies.

Paramount+ still streams the season, so late arrivals to Storrie’s catalog can watch the arc without waiting for physical media releases. The timing also fed online conversations that paired his sinister turn with the charismatic Ilya Rozanov character.

LA hustle before breakout

Before any of these credits, Storrie spent several years auditioning in Los Angeles while supporting himself through restaurant shifts. Industry contacts recall him circulating self-tapes between shifts, a routine common among working actors who later surface in breakout seasons.

That period produced the short-film and student-project credits that still appear on his résumé but rarely surface in mainstream searches. They supplied the early footage that ultimately reached the Heated Rivalry casting team.

His February 2026 SNL hosting gig and subsequent late-night appearances referenced those early jobs, framing them as necessary groundwork rather than footnotes. The anecdotes resonated with viewers who had followed similar paths in the city’s service economy.

Fan rediscovery wave

Once Heated Rivalry climbed the charts, social-media users began stitching together his earlier clips. Threads comparing the restrained Liam Hauser performance with the cocky Rozanov persona gained traction on X and TikTok within days of the season finale.

Streaming services responded by surfacing the older titles in recommendation carousels labeled “If you liked Heated Rivalry.” The algorithmic bump drove measurable upticks in views for Riley and Tiny Beautiful Things on their respective platforms.

Storrie acknowledged the trend during a March 2026 appearance on a morning show, noting that the sudden interest validated years of small-set work that rarely received press at the time. The moment illustrated how a single lead role can retroactively illuminate an entire back catalog.

Upcoming season two plans

Production on Heated Rivalry season two is slated to begin this summer, keeping Storrie in the public eye through the remainder of 2026. Networks have already floated expanded international distribution deals that could further boost catalog traffic for his prior credits.

His representatives have fielded offers for additional guest arcs and limited series, yet the actor has signaled interest in another feature lead before committing to another television cycle. That choice could shape which of his earlier films gains renewed visibility next.

Viewers mapping Connor Storrie movies and TV shows now have a clear timeline that runs from 2023 indies through 2026 prestige-adjacent guest spots, all feeding into the current sports-romance phenomenon.

Where the catalog leads next

The through-line from Riley to Heated Rivalry shows a deliberate accumulation of dramatic, comedic, and antagonistic beats that prepared Storrie for a role demanding both athleticism and emotional availability. Each earlier credit supplied a different tool set now visible in the series’ most discussed scenes.

With season two filming imminent and international platforms acquiring the first season, the window for catching up on those prior projects remains open. Audiences who locate the earlier work today will recognize the same performer who stepped into the spotlight carrying years of quiet preparation.