Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie Played An Unforgettable Role In Joaquin Phoenix's Awful Joker Sequel

Penalty warning: the following article contains major spoilers for "Joker: Folie à Deux."

People are going absolutely gaga for the smutty Canadian hockey series "Heated Rivalry," and who can blame them? The show follows Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), the captain of the Montreal Metros, who has a secret steamy affair with his most bitter on-ice rival, Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). The action is just as hot whether it's on or off the ice, and fans can't get enough of this fantastic queer romance. Not only is it hot, horny, and full of hockey, but it also actually requires your full attention, which can't exactly be said for a lot of streaming shows these days. The show's success means that actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are really blowing up, and some fans are just now realizing that Storrie was actually a part of one of the most divisive comic book movies ever made.

In 2024, Storrie played a small but pivotal role in the highly anticipated Todd Phillips "Joker" sequel, "Joker: Folie à Deux," starring as an unnamed prisoner incarcerated alongside Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who eventually kills Arthur and reveals himself to be "the real Joker" by carving a smile into his face. That's right, Storrie's character killed da Joker, baby, and fans were furious. It's a good thing that "Joker: Folie à Deux" will probably mostly be forgotten, and "Heated Rivalry" looks like it's only just getting started. 

The ending of the second "Joker" film frustrated fans and foes of the first film alike, as it appeared that Fleck had finally realized some of the follies of his actions in the first film, only to be brutally killed by someone else taking on the mantle of the Joker. Phillips felt like it was perfect because he never wanted Phoenix's Fleck to be "the" Joker, simply "a" Joker; one in a long line of disaffected and violent men. There's probably some social commentary there, but it feels pretty lost in the weird, musical nonsense that is "Joker" part 2, which is a real shame because Phillips almost seems to be onto something. 

For his part, Storrie is actually pretty creepy and works well as a Joker who was inspired and then disappointed by Fleck, a copycat killer who destroyed his own maker. There's nothing romantic about the unnamed character, however, which means fans of "Heated Rivalry" probably won't feel the need to check out his performance unless they're extremely die-hard. I, for one, would rather watch the horny hockey show over the cracked-up comic book courtroom musical any day of the week. Some men just want to see the world burn, but the rest of us just want to see the hockey players kiss.

"Heated Rivalry" is now streaming on Crave and HBO Max. "Joker: Folie à Deux" is also on HBO Max.