Rewrite
If you’re not already talking about it, you’re waiting for someone else to start. Right now, nothing feels bigger, hotter, or louder than Crave’s original series Heated Rivalry. As audiences swoon over heartthrob Shane Hollander in one of TV’s steamiest queer romances, it’s the cheeky charm of Canadian actor Hudson Williams that’s turned into an off-script phenomenon. He chats to his on-screen girlfriend, Sophie Nélisse, on the strange afterglow of becoming the world’s most-wanted leading man.
The year is 2026 and, somewhere between dusk and dawn, the world is quietly hijacked. In the blink of an eye, planet Earth finds itself in the grip of a cultural storm. Highly contagious, its symptoms ripple across the headlines: rising temperatures, extreme lust, and a sudden, deeply confusing urge to reconsider who – and what – we desire. There’s no dodging this one. From New York to Tokyo, Paris to Cape Town – TikTok, Instagram, your grandma’s Facebook, even your dad’s sports channels. We’re officially contaminated by a Heated Rivalry state of mind.
“The most French thing I’ve had so far…is just a baguette,” Hudson Williams tells his co-star and fellow Canadian actor Sophie Nélisse – who plays his on‑screen girlfriend, the very famous and very glamorous actor Rose Landry – late on a Friday afternoon in January, a thick local pronunciation slipping through to give the carb its due. He’s calling from one of Paris’s bougiest addresses, squeezed between shows as he ticks off his first international Fashion Week circuit. It is, of course, what you do when, almost overnight, you become one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. And Williams wants you to pay close attention to his Wonderland shoot – take that heat both literally and colloquially. “My Wonderland shoot was so c**ty. I delivered,” the 24-year-old laughs.
Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series, Heated Rivalry – created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave – is a Molotov cocktail for lover girls and soft boys alike. The series follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) through a classic enemies-to-lovers arc, with one crucial caveat: it’s very, very steamy. Following the book’s runaway success, the television adaptation landed for North American audiences in November 2025, triggering a chart-sweeping release and sending fans worldwide into collective hysteria as the rest of the globe waited for distributors to catch up.
In the meantime, Hudson and Connor have rocketed to fame, recalibrating just how quickly an industry breakout can be flung into the spotlight. One week, they’re torchbearers in Belluno for the Winter Olympics; the month before, presenters at the Golden Globes. Hudson has also made his runway debut, setting the internet agog as he stepped into ski-adjacent boots for DSquared2 in Milan, sharing the catwalk – and the after-party – with some of the generation’s most in-demand models. The wildest part? It’s only just beginning. Here, Hudson sits down with Sophie for a candid conversation on industry whiplash, pinch-me moments, and why everyone is absolutely right to think the boys are exhausted.
Sophie Nélisse: I miss you. Wonderland wants me to ask what it’s like being a fashion icon. I’m not going to flatter your ego like that. I’m going to ask how it felt being the worst walker on the runway.
Hudson Williams: I miss you, bitch. That’s a true statement. I was the worst walker on the runway, and that’s a great question, because it felt daunting. In the moment, I didn’t really feel scared. I was just like, ‘Fuck.’ All the other guys had heels and platforms. I only had flat boots, because I couldn’t walk.
SN: They looked like ski boots. Were they hard to walk in?
HW: They were normal, flat-ass boots. But then they buttoned a ski-boot ankle warmer on, so I couldn’t move my ankle. My ankle did not articulate. I didn’t practise my walk.
SN: Were you pacing in your hotel room before?
HW: I don’t really get nervous before these things. I only get mad afterwards that I didn’t get nervous. So I was like, ‘Fuck, I would have practised if I knew I was going to get shat on that hard.’ And I saw people just go, ‘Who the fuck is this guy?’ And I was like…I know. I know.
SN: Wait, did you actually get bad reviews? I was just playing with you.
HW: Yeah. Some people were like, ‘Face card, no walk card.’ I had so much salt. I was trying to [channel] models who do high fashion, the stiff, robot walk. But then Dsquared2 is a fun show where you’re meant to swag it up. And I was like, I could have swagged it up. I could have walked with umph. So anyway…
SN: I mean, that’s the thing. I never know what a good walk is meant to be like or look like. Honestly, I’ve deleted TikTok and Instagram for mental health reasons, but whenever I need to post something, I swear to God, every time I open Instagram, the first thing I see is a @justjared photo of you. And in Paris it was you partying behind the DJ booth. I know you love a party. So how was it?
HW: I love a party. I thought all the models were going to be stuck up and not fun to talk to, but I made so many friends. Got to shout out Abby Champion, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Kit Butler, and Alex Consani. They were fun as hell. We were smoking cigs in the back.
VINTAGE DSQUARED2 stylist’s own; socks TANNER FLETCHER
SN: I know, you’re not shying away from a cigarette. That’s another question: how has your PR team been? Were they just like, ‘Fuck it, you smoke wherever you want?’ You’re just smoking all the time, wherever I see you.
HW: I’m trying to quit. But that’s another thing I got called out for. People were like, ‘Look at him aura farming.’ I want to point out right now: I was going to smoke that fucking cigarette outside Armani, and my brand agent, Leilani, was like, ‘You should probably just smoke it now, because you won’t have time over there.’ And I was like, ‘Right here?’ So again, I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then some people said I wasn’t even inhaling, that I was just blowing out smoke. Bitch, I was walking so fucking fast, I was breathing heavy. Obviously not every drag is…[breathes very deeply]. Believe me, I needed that nicotine to calm down.
SN: It’s been very fun watching you. Everything happened so quickly, so overnight, and there was no – well, I’m guessing – media training. You are the most unhinged person, and unapologetically yourself, which I love, and which I think is also what people love about you right now. Despite everything happening so quickly, you’re not trying to be anyone else. You’re not trying to please anyone or change yourself to appease other people. But I think what people love about you is your unhingedness. I’m always thinking about the people on your team. Whenever they see an article about you, they must be like…so unlicensed.
HW: They’ve all started smoking cigarettes too. They’re freaking out behind the scenes [laughter]. Yeah, it’s crazy, because sometimes I’m just talking for two hours in these interviews, and I loosen up and say some things. And then those are the bits that get run. One thing I said was like, ‘I hope I’m an inspiration to all these Asian kids out there.’ And I made a joke, like, ‘Asian kids that are going to get railed,’ and then they combined it and made it a fucking headline. I was like, ‘What the hell?’
SN: But that’s what the people want, though. I remember when we did some BTS for Heated Rivalry, and they asked me, ‘Are you in the group chat?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s a group chat.’ I knew there were side group chats, but I don’t think there was a big group chat with every cast member, and I’m just not in it. The way they put it together, it really sounded like there was a fucking group chat and I wasn’t in it. And I was like, I swear I’m not a loser.
HW: I was laughing. I saw that video. Everyone, we’re going to clarify: there isn’t a cast group chat.
SN: What has shocked you the most about this industry and your rise to fame? What weren’t you expecting?
HW: I didn’t think there would be as many disrespectful people as there are. And vice versa, I didn’t think there would be as many respectful people as there are. I thought everyone would just be screaming, nice, or kind of like, ‘Oh my God.’ But there are people who are like, ‘No, let’s be respectful to him and his private life. Let’s not share these photos. When we approach him on the street, let’s be mindful of appropriate times.’ I’m seeing those comments, and that’s cool. But then there are disrespectful people who are just like, ‘Fuck that guy.’ And I’m like, holy shit. Why are people hating on me? There’s also all this fake news about me. And I’m like, ‘How do I already have fake news?’
SN: What’s the biggest fake news you’ve heard about yourself?
HW: There was a Letterboxd scandal. Have you heard about this? So fucking many Letterboxd reviews of mine that aren’t mine. I’ve seen one real Letterboxd review, and maybe like 25 fake ones.
SN: And are they bad reviews?
HW: Some of them are good, but they’re stupid. Some of them are really awful. And I’m like, I like that movie. Also, people are so concerned about my height. Everyone wants to know my height. They’re like, ‘How tall are you, for reference?’ There are huge debates going around about my height.
SN: And you can’t find your height anywhere publicly online?
HW: My height is six foot, and it’s posted.
SN: Why are you saying it now? You should have kept it a mystery for your entire life.
HW: Well…I’m 5’11.7”. And this is the history of my height, Sophie Nélisse. Since tenth grade, I used to say 5’10 and a half, because that was the last time I measured. Since then, I was just saying the wrong height. I also wanted to be humble. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who’s like ‘six foot’ and isn’t actually six foot. And then my mum was like, ‘You seem taller. You’re as tall as your dad, who’s six foot.’ So I stood next to the wall, and I’m 5’11.7”. With my hair, I’m past six foot. I’m not going to lie. I’m going to say what my fucking height is. And people can go, ‘No, he’s not. He’s lying.’ But I don’t care. That’s my actual fucking height.
SN: I love that for you. When did you know you wanted to get into acting? And what’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
HW: Since I was a child. I went to a performing arts elementary school. My mum was like, ‘Science school or art school?’ And I picked art so I could act, draw, and dance. I didn’t really want to sing. I’m okay at singing, but I’m not very good. But I love dancing and performing. I loved painting and drawing. My pinch-me moment…the Golden Globes was crazy, because I got to meet all these celebrities I’d always been a fan of, and now I’m talking to them, and they know who I am. But the closest I’ve come to crying with gratitude was when I was on Evan Ross Katz’s podcast and he got Michelle Williams on the line.
SN: That’s crazy – we were just talking about Michelle Williams in the car last time we were in Vancouver.
HW: I know. She called into the podcast and was like, ‘I’m a fan of your work.’ I couldn’t really hear what she said. As soon as she said her name, I fucking blacked out. I was on the verge of tears, ready to combust. I had to hold everything down so I wouldn’t be in inconsolable sobs for the rest of the interview. Then Evan goes, ‘How does it feel that the people who inspired you might now be inspired by you?’ And I was just choking everything down, using all my willpower. I almost sobbed. That was the biggest pinch-me moment.
SN: That’s so fair. How are you navigating all of this – staying grounded and grateful without being overwhelmed?
HW: I’ve been writing a lot. I have two separate journals. One is a manuscript – semi-autobiographical – about this period in my life, where I blur the lines between fiction and real life. Then I have one where I just recount things: I met this person today, this happened. And I have a Google Doc where I’m building my internal monologue, writing down what I’m thinking and feeling in hotel rooms between events. It’s really fun to write. There’s this writer I love, Joan Didion, and she once said she journals so that when she gets really old, she can pick up her books and find her way back to herself again. That inspired me. It also helps with gratitude. I can look back and go, ‘Wow, that really blew me away.’Keeping grounded, I have such a good group of friends. They don’t care too much. They’re like, ‘Okay, good for you. This is amazing. But what’s your next role?’ Or, ‘Are you treating us well? Are you treating the people around you well?’ That’s make or break. How you show up as a person matters more than anything else. I use my friends and family as a metric. Am I being an asshole? Let’s make sure I’m staying kind.
SN: And how has it been with Connor [Storrie]? The show is so hyped around both of you, but you’re different people who want different careers. How have you managed promoting the show while forging your own identities?
HW: It’s been really nice, because Connor and I are aligned. We want to be different artists. We don’t want to be the Olsen twins. We want to be Connor and Hudson, with different filmographies and different deals. As much as we love each other, our friendship doesn’t need to be public. Jacob [Tierney] has that quote: ‘Shane and Ilya are for the public. Connor and Hudson are for themselves.’ And that’s how we feel. People want to see us front row together all the time, but we actively avoid that, because it starts to feel like branding. If you’re always seen together, you become attached at the hip. I FaceTime him whenever I’m free. But if we’re offered the same fashion shows, we’re like, ‘Which one are you going to? Okay, I’ll go to a different one.’ We’re stubborn, selfish artists who want to be our own people. We’re like, ‘I love you. I don’t want to do everything with you.’
SN: Have you thought about moving to LA, or do you want to stay in Vancouver?
HW: If I had fuck-you money, I’d get a little apartment in LA and a villa in Italy, as well as Vancouver. People are like, ‘Isn’t Vancouver boring?’ Yeah. That’s what I like about it.
SN: You’re kind of like Shane, aren’t you?
HW: No, I’m not. I find the parties. I find the crazy people in Vancouver, Sophie. But I like that the city isn’t all, ‘Who are you with? What are you doing next?’ I love LA too much. If I lived there, I’d become an insufferable LA stereotype. In Vancouver, I read books, watch movies. I feel plugged into my inspiration. I can absorb art before I have to expend it. In LA, people can confuse themselves into thinking they’re artists just because they’re around other creative people. You need hobbies. You need to be doing things that aren’t just talking about art.
VINTAGE DSQUARED2 stylist’s own; socks TANNER FLETCHER
SN: LA is intoxicating. It’s a vortex. When I’m there, it’s thrilling – you feel like you’re part of the conversation. And then you leave and realise it’s not real life. It’s more of a front. It’s fun, but I agree, it would bring out the worst sides of me.
HW: I’ve seen you in Yellowjackets. I don’t want to see you at your worst.
SN: Exactly. Work-wise, what’s next? Who do you want to work with? Would you want to direct again?
HW: I’ve got projects in the inbox. I want to do a few things before season two. I want to break the idea of Shane. I love him, but I don’t want every role to be ‘square guy in a romance’. I want to do other stuff. Eventually, I want to do theatre. Broadway. A musical, after singing lessons. There’s a lot I want to do in the next two years.
SN: Do people have a hard time separating Shane from Hudson?
HW: I think I was trying to show another side of myself after Heated Rivalry. I have a cocky side – ‘Fuck you, this is me’ – but I also have a soft, quiet, scared side. I decided to show that. Some directors have seen my short films and were like, ‘Oh.’ I never thought they’d reference those films as a reason to cast me. I made them for two dollars and a camcorder.
SN: What question are you most sick of being asked, and what do you wish you were asked more?
HW: No one asks me what underwear I’m wearing. No one asks my favourite sex position [laughs]. I feel like Heated Rivalry questions are exhausted until season two. I wish people asked, ‘How are you? How do you feel?’
SN: Would you answer honestly?
HW: Yeah. Right now? I feel out of shape. I’ve expended everything. All Hudson had to give, Hudson gave. I need rest. I need movies and books. Artists are sponges. You soak things up and pour them into work. These events feel like preparation for things I don’t even want to do. I love fashion, but no one’s handing me a needle and asking me to make a dress. I want to act, direct, write – and I have no time for that. Schedules are 9am to 9pm, sometimes 8am to 11.30pm. You get an hour here, 30 minutes there. You can’t settle. You’re just absorbing toxic shit on your phone. There’s no routine, and routine breeds mental structure. I don’t have that right now, and it sucks.
SN: One minute left. Quick fire. Go-to McDonald’s order?
HW: Double Big Mac, no fries. Quarter Pounder with cheese. Snack-size McFlurry, if it’s winter and no one will see me naked.
SN: Why no fries?
HW: Carbs. And I don’t like fries.
SN: Psychopath answer.
HW: I don’t like mashed potatoes either. I like smashed potatoes, baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes. That’s it.
SN: A secret skill?
HW: I’m an Olympic-level figure skater.
SN: No, you’re not. Shut the fuck up. I know you.
HW: Fuck. I’m a really good drawer.
SN: Pencil drawing for my birthday?
HW: Okay. I’m excited to see you so soon.
SN: I’ll see you very soon. Enjoy Paris!
Pre-order Wonderland’s Spring 2026 Issue here.
Photography by Davis Bates
Styling by Lily Bling
Words by Sofia Ferreira
Grooming by Aika Flores at The Wall Group
On-site Producer Tate Scofield
Fashion Assistants Lulu Bishop, Dominique Samaniego
Videography by Robert Marrero
Videography Assistant Cole Magrini
Photography Assistant @sussivision @lydahorsetowater
Special thanks to @ciaffy
Senior Editor Ella Bardsley
Features Editor Ben Tibbits
Assistant Editor Aswan Magumbe
Art Director Mike Morton
Assistant Art Director Beth Griffiths
Junior Art Director Natasha Lesiakowska
Fashion Director Abigail Hazard
Production Director Lola Randall
Production Director Clemmie Hyde
in HTML format, including tags, to make it appealing and easy to read for Japanese-speaking readers aged 20 to 40 interested in fashion. Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), translating all text, including headings, into Japanese. Retain any existing
tags from
If you’re not already talking about it, you’re waiting for someone else to start. Right now, nothing feels bigger, hotter, or louder than Crave’s original series Heated Rivalry. As audiences swoon over heartthrob Shane Hollander in one of TV’s steamiest queer romances, it’s the cheeky charm of Canadian actor Hudson Williams that’s turned into an off-script phenomenon. He chats to his on-screen girlfriend, Sophie Nélisse, on the strange afterglow of becoming the world’s most-wanted leading man.
The year is 2026 and, somewhere between dusk and dawn, the world is quietly hijacked. In the blink of an eye, planet Earth finds itself in the grip of a cultural storm. Highly contagious, its symptoms ripple across the headlines: rising temperatures, extreme lust, and a sudden, deeply confusing urge to reconsider who – and what – we desire. There’s no dodging this one. From New York to Tokyo, Paris to Cape Town – TikTok, Instagram, your grandma’s Facebook, even your dad’s sports channels. We’re officially contaminated by a Heated Rivalry state of mind.
“The most French thing I’ve had so far…is just a baguette,” Hudson Williams tells his co-star and fellow Canadian actor Sophie Nélisse – who plays his on‑screen girlfriend, the very famous and very glamorous actor Rose Landry – late on a Friday afternoon in January, a thick local pronunciation slipping through to give the carb its due. He’s calling from one of Paris’s bougiest addresses, squeezed between shows as he ticks off his first international Fashion Week circuit. It is, of course, what you do when, almost overnight, you become one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. And Williams wants you to pay close attention to his Wonderland shoot – take that heat both literally and colloquially. “My Wonderland shoot was so c**ty. I delivered,” the 24-year-old laughs.
Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series, Heated Rivalry – created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave – is a Molotov cocktail for lover girls and soft boys alike. The series follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) through a classic enemies-to-lovers arc, with one crucial caveat: it’s very, very steamy. Following the book’s runaway success, the television adaptation landed for North American audiences in November 2025, triggering a chart-sweeping release and sending fans worldwide into collective hysteria as the rest of the globe waited for distributors to catch up.
In the meantime, Hudson and Connor have rocketed to fame, recalibrating just how quickly an industry breakout can be flung into the spotlight. One week, they’re torchbearers in Belluno for the Winter Olympics; the month before, presenters at the Golden Globes. Hudson has also made his runway debut, setting the internet agog as he stepped into ski-adjacent boots for DSquared2 in Milan, sharing the catwalk – and the after-party – with some of the generation’s most in-demand models. The wildest part? It’s only just beginning. Here, Hudson sits down with Sophie for a candid conversation on industry whiplash, pinch-me moments, and why everyone is absolutely right to think the boys are exhausted.
Sophie Nélisse: I miss you. Wonderland wants me to ask what it’s like being a fashion icon. I’m not going to flatter your ego like that. I’m going to ask how it felt being the worst walker on the runway.
Hudson Williams: I miss you, bitch. That’s a true statement. I was the worst walker on the runway, and that’s a great question, because it felt daunting. In the moment, I didn’t really feel scared. I was just like, ‘Fuck.’ All the other guys had heels and platforms. I only had flat boots, because I couldn’t walk.
SN: They looked like ski boots. Were they hard to walk in?
HW: They were normal, flat-ass boots. But then they buttoned a ski-boot ankle warmer on, so I couldn’t move my ankle. My ankle did not articulate. I didn’t practise my walk.
SN: Were you pacing in your hotel room before?
HW: I don’t really get nervous before these things. I only get mad afterwards that I didn’t get nervous. So I was like, ‘Fuck, I would have practised if I knew I was going to get shat on that hard.’ And I saw people just go, ‘Who the fuck is this guy?’ And I was like…I know. I know.
SN: Wait, did you actually get bad reviews? I was just playing with you.
HW: Yeah. Some people were like, ‘Face card, no walk card.’ I had so much salt. I was trying to [channel] models who do high fashion, the stiff, robot walk. But then Dsquared2 is a fun show where you’re meant to swag it up. And I was like, I could have swagged it up. I could have walked with umph. So anyway…
SN: I mean, that’s the thing. I never know what a good walk is meant to be like or look like. Honestly, I’ve deleted TikTok and Instagram for mental health reasons, but whenever I need to post something, I swear to God, every time I open Instagram, the first thing I see is a @justjared photo of you. And in Paris it was you partying behind the DJ booth. I know you love a party. So how was it?
HW: I love a party. I thought all the models were going to be stuck up and not fun to talk to, but I made so many friends. Got to shout out Abby Champion, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Kit Butler, and Alex Consani. They were fun as hell. We were smoking cigs in the back.
VINTAGE DSQUARED2 stylist’s own; socks TANNER FLETCHER
SN: I know, you’re not shying away from a cigarette. That’s another question: how has your PR team been? Were they just like, ‘Fuck it, you smoke wherever you want?’ You’re just smoking all the time, wherever I see you.
HW: I’m trying to quit. But that’s another thing I got called out for. People were like, ‘Look at him aura farming.’ I want to point out right now: I was going to smoke that fucking cigarette outside Armani, and my brand agent, Leilani, was like, ‘You should probably just smoke it now, because you won’t have time over there.’ And I was like, ‘Right here?’ So again, I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then some people said I wasn’t even inhaling, that I was just blowing out smoke. Bitch, I was walking so fucking fast, I was breathing heavy. Obviously not every drag is…[breathes very deeply]. Believe me, I needed that nicotine to calm down.
SN: It’s been very fun watching you. Everything happened so quickly, so overnight, and there was no – well, I’m guessing – media training. You are the most unhinged person, and unapologetically yourself, which I love, and which I think is also what people love about you right now. Despite everything happening so quickly, you’re not trying to be anyone else. You’re not trying to please anyone or change yourself to appease other people. But I think what people love about you is your unhingedness. I’m always thinking about the people on your team. Whenever they see an article about you, they must be like…so unlicensed.
HW: They’ve all started smoking cigarettes too. They’re freaking out behind the scenes [laughter]. Yeah, it’s crazy, because sometimes I’m just talking for two hours in these interviews, and I loosen up and say some things. And then those are the bits that get run. One thing I said was like, ‘I hope I’m an inspiration to all these Asian kids out there.’ And I made a joke, like, ‘Asian kids that are going to get railed,’ and then they combined it and made it a fucking headline. I was like, ‘What the hell?’
SN: But that’s what the people want, though. I remember when we did some BTS for Heated Rivalry, and they asked me, ‘Are you in the group chat?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s a group chat.’ I knew there were side group chats, but I don’t think there was a big group chat with every cast member, and I’m just not in it. The way they put it together, it really sounded like there was a fucking group chat and I wasn’t in it. And I was like, I swear I’m not a loser.
HW: I was laughing. I saw that video. Everyone, we’re going to clarify: there isn’t a cast group chat.
SN: What has shocked you the most about this industry and your rise to fame? What weren’t you expecting?
HW: I didn’t think there would be as many disrespectful people as there are. And vice versa, I didn’t think there would be as many respectful people as there are. I thought everyone would just be screaming, nice, or kind of like, ‘Oh my God.’ But there are people who are like, ‘No, let’s be respectful to him and his private life. Let’s not share these photos. When we approach him on the street, let’s be mindful of appropriate times.’ I’m seeing those comments, and that’s cool. But then there are disrespectful people who are just like, ‘Fuck that guy.’ And I’m like, holy shit. Why are people hating on me? There’s also all this fake news about me. And I’m like, ‘How do I already have fake news?’
SN: What’s the biggest fake news you’ve heard about yourself?
HW: There was a Letterboxd scandal. Have you heard about this? So fucking many Letterboxd reviews of mine that aren’t mine. I’ve seen one real Letterboxd review, and maybe like 25 fake ones.
SN: And are they bad reviews?
HW: Some of them are good, but they’re stupid. Some of them are really awful. And I’m like, I like that movie. Also, people are so concerned about my height. Everyone wants to know my height. They’re like, ‘How tall are you, for reference?’ There are huge debates going around about my height.
SN: And you can’t find your height anywhere publicly online?
HW: My height is six foot, and it’s posted.
SN: Why are you saying it now? You should have kept it a mystery for your entire life.
HW: Well…I’m 5’11.7”. And this is the history of my height, Sophie Nélisse. Since tenth grade, I used to say 5’10 and a half, because that was the last time I measured. Since then, I was just saying the wrong height. I also wanted to be humble. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who’s like ‘six foot’ and isn’t actually six foot. And then my mum was like, ‘You seem taller. You’re as tall as your dad, who’s six foot.’ So I stood next to the wall, and I’m 5’11.7”. With my hair, I’m past six foot. I’m not going to lie. I’m going to say what my fucking height is. And people can go, ‘No, he’s not. He’s lying.’ But I don’t care. That’s my actual fucking height.
SN: I love that for you. When did you know you wanted to get into acting? And what’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
HW: Since I was a child. I went to a performing arts elementary school. My mum was like, ‘Science school or art school?’ And I picked art so I could act, draw, and dance. I didn’t really want to sing. I’m okay at singing, but I’m not very good. But I love dancing and performing. I loved painting and drawing. My pinch-me moment…the Golden Globes was crazy, because I got to meet all these celebrities I’d always been a fan of, and now I’m talking to them, and they know who I am. But the closest I’ve come to crying with gratitude was when I was on Evan Ross Katz’s podcast and he got Michelle Williams on the line.
SN: That’s crazy – we were just talking about Michelle Williams in the car last time we were in Vancouver.
HW: I know. She called into the podcast and was like, ‘I’m a fan of your work.’ I couldn’t really hear what she said. As soon as she said her name, I fucking blacked out. I was on the verge of tears, ready to combust. I had to hold everything down so I wouldn’t be in inconsolable sobs for the rest of the interview. Then Evan goes, ‘How does it feel that the people who inspired you might now be inspired by you?’ And I was just choking everything down, using all my willpower. I almost sobbed. That was the biggest pinch-me moment.
SN: That’s so fair. How are you navigating all of this – staying grounded and grateful without being overwhelmed?
HW: I’ve been writing a lot. I have two separate journals. One is a manuscript – semi-autobiographical – about this period in my life, where I blur the lines between fiction and real life. Then I have one where I just recount things: I met this person today, this happened. And I have a Google Doc where I’m building my internal monologue, writing down what I’m thinking and feeling in hotel rooms between events. It’s really fun to write. There’s this writer I love, Joan Didion, and she once said she journals so that when she gets really old, she can pick up her books and find her way back to herself again. That inspired me. It also helps with gratitude. I can look back and go, ‘Wow, that really blew me away.’Keeping grounded, I have such a good group of friends. They don’t care too much. They’re like, ‘Okay, good for you. This is amazing. But what’s your next role?’ Or, ‘Are you treating us well? Are you treating the people around you well?’ That’s make or break. How you show up as a person matters more than anything else. I use my friends and family as a metric. Am I being an asshole? Let’s make sure I’m staying kind.
SN: And how has it been with Connor [Storrie]? The show is so hyped around both of you, but you’re different people who want different careers. How have you managed promoting the show while forging your own identities?
HW: It’s been really nice, because Connor and I are aligned. We want to be different artists. We don’t want to be the Olsen twins. We want to be Connor and Hudson, with different filmographies and different deals. As much as we love each other, our friendship doesn’t need to be public. Jacob [Tierney] has that quote: ‘Shane and Ilya are for the public. Connor and Hudson are for themselves.’ And that’s how we feel. People want to see us front row together all the time, but we actively avoid that, because it starts to feel like branding. If you’re always seen together, you become attached at the hip. I FaceTime him whenever I’m free. But if we’re offered the same fashion shows, we’re like, ‘Which one are you going to? Okay, I’ll go to a different one.’ We’re stubborn, selfish artists who want to be our own people. We’re like, ‘I love you. I don’t want to do everything with you.’
SN: Have you thought about moving to LA, or do you want to stay in Vancouver?
HW: If I had fuck-you money, I’d get a little apartment in LA and a villa in Italy, as well as Vancouver. People are like, ‘Isn’t Vancouver boring?’ Yeah. That’s what I like about it.
SN: You’re kind of like Shane, aren’t you?
HW: No, I’m not. I find the parties. I find the crazy people in Vancouver, Sophie. But I like that the city isn’t all, ‘Who are you with? What are you doing next?’ I love LA too much. If I lived there, I’d become an insufferable LA stereotype. In Vancouver, I read books, watch movies. I feel plugged into my inspiration. I can absorb art before I have to expend it. In LA, people can confuse themselves into thinking they’re artists just because they’re around other creative people. You need hobbies. You need to be doing things that aren’t just talking about art.
VINTAGE DSQUARED2 stylist’s own; socks TANNER FLETCHER
SN: LA is intoxicating. It’s a vortex. When I’m there, it’s thrilling – you feel like you’re part of the conversation. And then you leave and realise it’s not real life. It’s more of a front. It’s fun, but I agree, it would bring out the worst sides of me.
HW: I’ve seen you in Yellowjackets. I don’t want to see you at your worst.
SN: Exactly. Work-wise, what’s next? Who do you want to work with? Would you want to direct again?
HW: I’ve got projects in the inbox. I want to do a few things before season two. I want to break the idea of Shane. I love him, but I don’t want every role to be ‘square guy in a romance’. I want to do other stuff. Eventually, I want to do theatre. Broadway. A musical, after singing lessons. There’s a lot I want to do in the next two years.
SN: Do people have a hard time separating Shane from Hudson?
HW: I think I was trying to show another side of myself after Heated Rivalry. I have a cocky side – ‘Fuck you, this is me’ – but I also have a soft, quiet, scared side. I decided to show that. Some directors have seen my short films and were like, ‘Oh.’ I never thought they’d reference those films as a reason to cast me. I made them for two dollars and a camcorder.
SN: What question are you most sick of being asked, and what do you wish you were asked more?
HW: No one asks me what underwear I’m wearing. No one asks my favourite sex position [laughs]. I feel like Heated Rivalry questions are exhausted until season two. I wish people asked, ‘How are you? How do you feel?’
SN: Would you answer honestly?
HW: Yeah. Right now? I feel out of shape. I’ve expended everything. All Hudson had to give, Hudson gave. I need rest. I need movies and books. Artists are sponges. You soak things up and pour them into work. These events feel like preparation for things I don’t even want to do. I love fashion, but no one’s handing me a needle and asking me to make a dress. I want to act, direct, write – and I have no time for that. Schedules are 9am to 9pm, sometimes 8am to 11.30pm. You get an hour here, 30 minutes there. You can’t settle. You’re just absorbing toxic shit on your phone. There’s no routine, and routine breeds mental structure. I don’t have that right now, and it sucks.
SN: One minute left. Quick fire. Go-to McDonald’s order?
HW: Double Big Mac, no fries. Quarter Pounder with cheese. Snack-size McFlurry, if it’s winter and no one will see me naked.
SN: Why no fries?
HW: Carbs. And I don’t like fries.
SN: Psychopath answer.
HW: I don’t like mashed potatoes either. I like smashed potatoes, baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes. That’s it.
SN: A secret skill?
HW: I’m an Olympic-level figure skater.
SN: No, you’re not. Shut the fuck up. I know you.
HW: Fuck. I’m a really good drawer.
SN: Pencil drawing for my birthday?
HW: Okay. I’m excited to see you so soon.
SN: I’ll see you very soon. Enjoy Paris!
Pre-order Wonderland’s Spring 2026 Issue here.
Photography by Davis Bates
Styling by Lily Bling
Words by Sofia Ferreira
Grooming by Aika Flores at The Wall Group
On-site Producer Tate Scofield
Fashion Assistants Lulu Bishop, Dominique Samaniego
Videography by Robert Marrero
Videography Assistant Cole Magrini
Photography Assistant @sussivision @lydahorsetowater
Special thanks to @ciaffy
Senior Editor Ella Bardsley
Features Editor Ben Tibbits
Assistant Editor Aswan Magumbe
Art Director Mike Morton
Assistant Art Director Beth Griffiths
Junior Art Director Natasha Lesiakowska
Fashion Director Abigail Hazard
Production Director Lola Randall
Production Director Clemmie Hyde
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Ensure the new content is fashion-related, written entirely in Japanese, and approximately 1500 words. Conclude with a “結論” section and a well-formatted “よくある質問” section. Avoid including an introduction or a note explaining the process.
