Heated Rivalry Author Rachel Reid Reacts to Season 2 Casting Criticism
‘Heated Rivalry’ Casts Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie in Major Season 2 Roles
Rachel Reid knows what she’s doing.
Hours after Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie were announced to star as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively, in Heated Rivalry season two Aug. 7, the series’ author seemingly addressed criticism of the casting.
As she wrote on Instagram Stories Aug. 7, “Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for Ilya and Shane was wrong and bad….”
Indeed, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams’ steamy performances as the fictional hockey players couldn’t have resonated more with audiences. And while Reid urged fans to trust her gut when it comes to filling more roles in the hit book-to-TV adaptation moving forward, supporters of the franchise have their concerns.
Mainly, many die-hard fans of the Heated Rivalry universe were skeptical about Smith’s casting considering Harris is described in Reid’s Game Changers series as “stocky.”
“Harris is supposed to be stocky,” one user wrote on X in response to the casting announcement. “Justice is not. Let’s not change that aspect of him.”
Meanwhile, another user emphasized the sentiment, adding, “I love Justice, and I think he’s a fantastic actor, but this is a bummer for Harris.”