The question — is Connor Storrie actually gay — has taken over social media feeds, TikTok comment sections, and entertainment searches across the U.S. ever since Heated Rivalry turned this relatively unknown American actor into one of the most talked-about stars in streaming television. As of March 2026, Connor Storrie has not publicly labeled his sexual orientation, and he has made it clear he intends to keep that part of his life entirely private.
Think you know the full story? Read on — there’s a lot more going on here than a simple yes or no.
Who Is Connor Storrie?
Born on February 22, 2000, in Colorado and raised in Odessa, Texas, Connor Storrie spent his early years training as a competitive gymnast before falling in love with acting. He attended a performing arts school, moved to the Los Angeles area as a teenager, and spent his junior year of high school studying abroad in France, where he became fluent in French.
Before fame found him, Storrie was working restaurant shifts while auditioning and sharpening his craft with improv classes at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. He also began studying the art of clowning, a discipline that would later prove invaluable when it came to performing under pressure in front of live audiences.
His early screen credits include the 2023 film Riley and a quietly remarkable appearance in Joker: Folie à Deux, in which he played an Arkham Asylum inmate whose character is implied to become the Joker — a role he was required to keep completely secret for nearly two years before the film’s release.
The Show That Sparked Everything
In 2025, Storrie landed the role of Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry, a Crave and HBO Max gay romance series centered on two rival professional hockey players navigating an intense, decade-long relationship on and off the ice. Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling novel series, the show exploded onto streaming platforms and quickly became one of the most-watched LGBTQ+-led series in recent memory.
The series was renewed for a second season early in its run, with Storrie and co-star Hudson Williams set to reprise their roles. Williams has teased that Season 2, inspired by Reid’s The Long Game, will push the story even further.
The raw emotional depth of Storrie’s performance — combined with the show’s steamy, unapologetic storytelling — immediately had audiences wondering where the character ended and the real person began.
What Has Connor Storrie Actually Said?
This is where things get straightforward. In a candid interview in early 2026, Storrie addressed the relentless speculation directly with five words: “I’m gonna keep that to myself.”
Neither Storrie nor co-star Hudson Williams has publicly identified their sexual orientation. Both actors addressed the ongoing curiosity in a joint interview, with Williams describing the attention as “just the nature of celebrity” and adding that he always knew he would want a level of personal privacy when he entered public life.
The show’s creator was also asked about the casting of queer roles and whether it was important to cast openly queer actors. His response was clear: you cannot legally ask those questions during casting, so what matters is an actor’s enthusiasm, dedication, and willingness to make the story feel real. Both Storrie and Williams, he said, absolutely delivered on that front.
As of today, Connor Storrie has not publicly stated that he is gay, straight, bisexual, or any other orientation. Any claim to the contrary is simply not backed by anything he has said or done publicly.
The SNL Moment Everyone Is Talking About
On March 1, 2026, Storrie hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. The 26-year-old walked out to thunderous applause from what appeared to be a studio audience heavily stacked with Heated Rivalry fans.
He opened his monologue by leaning directly into the cultural moment: “Now, some of you may have seen all of me on my show Heated Rivalry. It’s a show that’s taught a lot of people about hockey, and it’s taught a lot of straight women that their sexuality is actually gay men.”
The line brought the house down.
His co-star Hudson Williams made a surprise appearance during a sketch set on the 30 Rock ice rink, sliding dramatically into Storrie and sending the audience into absolute chaos. The two later appeared together on stage to announce musical guest Mumford & Sons.
The episode was a cultural event in itself — and it only deepened the public’s fascination with who Connor Storrie is when the cameras stop rolling.
The François Arnaud Dating Rumors
Adding yet another layer to the conversation, months of speculation surrounding an alleged romance between Storrie and Heated Rivalry co-star François Arnaud gained mainstream traction in early 2026. The two were spotted together at multiple events throughout January, including a W Magazine after party following the 2026 Grammy Awards in early February.
Major outlets covered the speculation, with British Vogue running a headline about the two actors appearing to coordinate their fashion like a couple. Fan communities online gave the rumored pairing multiple nicknames and tracked their movements across red carpets and airports.
However, neither Storrie nor Arnaud has said anything to support the idea of a romantic relationship between them. Arnaud, who came out as bisexual in 2020, is the only main cast member of Heated Rivalry who publicly identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Storrie’s sexuality remains something he has declined to address publicly.
It is also worth noting that speculation of this intensity can put real pressure on people in the public eye, sometimes pushing them to address personal matters before they are ready — which is something entertainment observers and fans alike have flagged as a concern throughout this entire conversation.
Why Does Everyone Keep Asking?
The curiosity is understandable when you break it down. Storrie’s character is openly gay. His on-screen chemistry with co-stars comes across as genuinely felt. He speaks supportively about LGBTQ+ representation in interviews. And he keeps his personal life locked down in an era when many celebrities share everything online.
Pop culture has long operated on the assumption that a deeply convincing queer performance reflects something personal — but acting and real-life identity are not the same thing. The two men who played Shane and Ilya spent months in intense preparation, built a deep friendship, and committed fully to an emotionally demanding story. That is what you are watching on screen.
Sexual orientation is increasingly treated as personal in the entertainment industry. More actors today are simply declining to label themselves for public consumption, and that approach is becoming more normalized — not less. Storrie fits squarely within that modern reality.
What’s Next for Connor Storrie?
Beyond Heated Rivalry Season 2, Storrie is reportedly in talks to join the ensemble cast of Peaked, a comedy from A24 written by Molly Gordon and SNL writer Allie Levitan. Earlier in 2026, he and Williams presented together at the Golden Globes and served as torchbearers in the 2026 Olympic Torch Relay — two moments that underscored just how quickly this actor has moved from restaurant tables to the center of popular culture.
He studied Russian and developed a full Russian accent for his role in Heated Rivalry. He trained in clown performance before landing the role. He cried when he found out he was booked to host SNL. By every available measure, Connor Storrie is someone who takes the work seriously — and keeps everything else close to the chest.
What do you think about actors keeping their personal lives private while playing LGBTQ+ roles on screen? Drop your thoughts in the comments — the conversation around Connor Storrie is just getting started.
