Hudson Williams crowned best actor in Canada, the triumph of the star of “Heated Rivalry”

The best actor award is among the 16 won by “Heated Rivalry,” which has become the biggest success on Canadian television. Released last winter on Crave in Canada and HBO in the rest of the world, this phenomenal series is a pure local product, which has become the perfect weapon of Canadian soft power. Faced with provocations from its American neighbor, led by a warlike Donald Trump, the country with the maple leaf has never stopped highlighting this planetary success. To respond to Hollywood, the Canadian Screen Awards have even decided, this year, to only honor local talents and projects, unlike in previous years.

And so Hudson Williams’ on-screen partner, Connor Storrie, was not named. The Texan was nevertheless greeted by the man who became his best friend, during his speech. “If I could split this prize in half, I would, because if my passive little lovesick eyes hadn’t had a big, sexy Russian to feast on, my performance wouldn’t have been as good. So, to this Canadian at heart, Connor Storrie, I share this award with you.”

And if Connor Storrie could not claim an award in Canada, he will not be able to be rewarded at the next Emmy Awards in the United States either, the series being entirely produced by the nation with the red and white flag.

A situation which causes grief among fans, as he deserves to be saluted for his work, but which can be explained by the geopolitical need to protect Canadian culture. While the producer and director of “Heated Rivalry”, Jacob Tierney, did contact American studios at the start of his project, he fled in the face of their inappropriate requests. Last January, during a gala highlighting Canadian industry, Prime Minister Mark Carney did not fail to salute this victory. “Jacob did the right thing. He did what was smart. He came home to Canada. He returned to a country that celebrates what makes us different. I am a politician, I do not refrain from taking credit for the Canadian funding which allowed you to broadcast this story to the whole world. I gave my green light!”, he said.

Canadian pride

On Sunday, in front of journalists, Hudson Williams also shared his Canadian pride, while the country was threatened with annexation by Donald Trump several months ago. “This proves that we don’t need to tour anywhere else to represent Canada. We can film Canada for Canada, be proud of it, and it spreads and permeates the whole country. It can have an impact beyond borders, and everyone can appreciate and love it.” It is therefore no coincidence to see his next two projects also be Canadian productions. The “Yaga” series will soon be broadcast on the Crave platform to which we owe “Heated Rivalry”. As for his first film as a lead actor, the thriller “Apparatus”, it was directed by Sofia Banzhaf, originally from Newfoundland and Labrador.

But in addition to being a triumph for Canada, this trophy awarded to Hudson Williams is also a great revenge for his more than turbulent first six months of glory. Having gone from complete unknown to superstar, the young man’s actions were spied on from the start, making him the favorite target of Internet users. Criticized for his acting, mocked for his appearance, victim of racist insults, targeted by disinformation campaigns, harassed by some of his own fans, the one who is of Korean and Canadian origin has not been able to escape the worst of social networks. So much so that he recently distanced himself from his online presence. He who was active and loved sharing moments of his life, has, like so many stars before him, decided to be more discreet. However, he has not completely disappeared since each of his appearances continues to generate millions of views and likes. By sharing his favorite books on Instagram, he even recently relaunched their sales in bookstores, “Variety” wrote last week.

Surrounded by loved ones

For this big evening, Hudson Williams, in addition to being surrounded by part of the team from the series, was also surrounded by those who matter most to him. His parents and his partner. “Thank you to my mother and father for always believing in me and never letting this dream become something I shouldn’t believe in,” he said during his speech, as he explained how worried his Korean mother was to the idea that there is no room for him on screen.

The actor continued by paying tribute to his partner Katelyn, the one who “makes him stable” even though he is “not always” stable. It is at his side, in Vancouver, that he recharges his batteries between filming. HAS”“I like the fact that the city is not constantly fascinated by people,†he told the magazine “Wonderland» a few months ago. He added: “In Vancouver, I read, I watch films. I feel connected to my inspiration. I can absorb art before I even have to share it. In Los Angeles, you can think of yourself as an artist simply because you’re around other creative people. You have to have hobbies. We have to do something other than talk about art.” A Canadian philosophy of life that is successful for him.