What To Know
- Author Rachel Reid addressed fan backlash over the casting of Justice Smith as Harris Drover in Season 2 of Heated Rivalry.
- Many fans expressed disappointment that the character Harris, described in the books as having an un-athletic body type.
- The show’s creators emphasized the actors’ abilities to capture the emotional depth of the characters, with Season 2 set to premiere in spring 2027.
Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid sent a direct message to backlash over a Season 2 casting announcement.
On August 7, Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie were revealed to play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively. Troy and Harris’ love story will be featured in Season 2 of the hockey romance series alongside the continued story of Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). The second season is based on Reid’s book, Role Model, which overlaps with the Shane/Ilya sequel The Long Game.
Reid took to her Instagram Stories following the announcement to send a direct message to critics of the casting, “Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for Ilya and Shane was wrong and bad…”
Many fans expressed disappointment with the casting of Harris, specifically, as the character is described in the books as having an unathletic body type.
One X user wrote, “I have to say as a fat gay man, I’m so so so disappointed in the Harris casting. I’m sure Justice is a great actor, but casting a thin, fit man is not what I was hoping for and I’m not the only one. Representation in body type matters as much as ethnicity.”
Another echoed, “I love Justice, and I think he’s a fantastic actor, but this is a bummer for Harris.”
Someone else shared via X, “Mad about the lack of chubby representation but that’s not on these two, just letting you know.”
In the casting announcement, Heated Rivalry series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a joint statement, “Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for. From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen.”
They continued, “Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”
As of writing, a release date for Heated Rivalry has not been revealed, although it has been confirmed for spring 2027.