Heated Rivalry has dropped a Season 2 update.
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the new season.
They are playing Harris and Troy.
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have boarded the upcoming season of the Crave superhit show, Heated Rivalry. They are the new starring couple, joining Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Smith and Gillespie will be essaying Harris and Troy. Harris and Troy’s budding relationship propels Reid’s novel Role Model, the fifth installment of her Game Changers series, which Heated Rivalry the series is based on.
“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. Justice and Charlie do exactly that,” showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a release.
“They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are", they added. Smith had a breakout role in I Saw The TV Glow and Gillespie was recently seen in One Night Only.
Tierney created, wrote and directed Heated Rivalry. He’s returning for season two, which has added another writer. The show, which premiered in November 2025, made overnight stars out of Williams and Storrie, who were both working as waiters when they booked the roles. Williams won a Canadian Screen Award for his portrayal of the professional hockey player. The show emerged an international rage, arguably one of the year's biggest talking points.
Heated Rivalry Season 2 Filming Dates, Release, Crew
The show will begin shooting its second season this month and is aiming for a spring 2027 release. Tierney helms the show as writer, director and executive producer on the series. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers, alongside Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje as producers. Reid serves as a consulting producer. Mike Goldbach joins season two as co-writer alongside Tierney.
The series is available in more than 130 countries.
