Connor Storrie, actor, has taken on his most recent role as a lab rat in pop culture’s most ambitious experiment yet: what happens when someone waiting tables in Los Angeles, daydreaming of a bigger life, is plucked from obscurity and turned into one of the most fervently desired figures on the planet overnight?
Connor Storrie wears washed certified cotton denim shirt, cotton denim pants with Horsebit GUCCI | Quatre Classique Edition hoop earrings, Quatre White Edition tie necklace, Quatre Classique large ring BOUCHERON
For one thing, he sells out magazines. A teaser clip of our cover shoot, posted the day of the shoot and not even revealing Storrie’s face, went viral immediately, gutting our stock of a magazine that hadn’t even been printed yet (of course, we printed extras given the unprecedented demand). For another, he becomes the largest spectacle at the Saint Laurent men’s show in Paris, where, just 48 hours after our call, thousands of camera flashes blinked so wildly at him their heat could have melted a skating rink. Perhaps equally as hot was the literal fire on the Olympic torch he’d carried down the streets of Feltre, Italy (or the sex scenes from the groundbreaking phenomenon Heated Rivalry). After year’s of trying to break through Hollywood’s ice, Storrie finally just blew right through it.
MATHIAS ROSENZWEIG: You probably didn’t see this online, but we posted a teaser without saying who was on the cover—just a flash of curly hair. Fans clocked it immediately, and it sold out. You barely see anything, but people instantly knew it was you. We’ve never had that happen before.
CONNOR STORRIE: Oh, look, it better be fucking iconic.
MR: It better be really good, because people have already bought it. We didn’t even release the cover yet. What can you tell me about that day on set?
CS: I mean, it was—I just felt the freedom to move and go. Luigi & Iango did such a good job. The energy was so kinetic. Stephen [Gan] too— I think we were all on the same page from the jump. It reminded me of ads or photo shoots I used to see when I was little—stark black and white, really cool, fashion-forward. I was excited to get in there and have fun. Eventually, I was face-down on the ground, rolling around. And the looks were so fucking cool, too. Especially the outfit we ended on. It had a really wide range, which I always love—a sense of diversity. It went from super ’80s, kind of Italian, and then we ended on this ’90s grunge vibe.
MR: In general, how familiar were you with the fashion world? I think you’re going to something at Fashion Week next week—is that whole world very new to you as well, or were you already kind of a fan?
CS: Fashion was not on my radar, but the moment you start trying on really nice clothes, you understand why people love it so much. It was never on my radar before, but I really enjoy it. I love the artistry of it. You also realize really quickly how much materials matter—like a $50 pair of jeans versus a $500 pair. You can really feel the difference.
MR: When I started at VMAN, I had no fashion background at all— I mostly covered music. And like you said, once you feel a really good pair of pants, you’re like, ‘What have I been wearing my whole life?’ After that, you’re spoiled. You can’t go back.
CS: Especially with tailoring, too—when things are really form-fitted to your body, it’s hard to go back to off-the-rack pants. It’s just fun. Playing dress-up is my favorite thing, which is probably why I’m in film— it’s a prolonged version of that. So these photo shoots are an even more heightened version of it.
Connor Storrie wears silk chiffon tank top with crystals and silk chiffon pants with crystals GUCCI | Quatre Black Edition pendant necklace and Fièche bracelet paved with diamonds on white gold (worn on shirt) BOUCHERON
MR: Is this going to be your first fashion week experience?
CS: This will be my first time going to any fashion event in general.
MR: Wow. It’s going to be very surreal for you.
CS: I’m excited. I’ve only ever seen it from the outside, so it’s going to be cool to be there in person.
MR: It’ll be one for the books—I promise. I wanted to talk about the last month. You’ve said you wanted to be a successful actor since you were a kid—how does the reality compare to the dream?
CS: First of all, it’s really difficult to fully comprehend the level at which this is being seen. I’ll be completely honest—it’s only really started to settle in over the last week. I was on the east side, driving to get dinner, and there was this big crowd on a street corner. I was like, “Oh, I wonder what everyone’s doing.” I pulled forward a bit and realized it was a club doing a Heated Rivalry night—sold out, our faces everywhere. I literally drove for a block and a half, and the line just snaked all the way down the street. That was the first time I could really visualize it. Online numbers are so elusive—millions of views don’t always feel real. But seeing a few hundred people physically waiting to get inside, I was like, “Whoa, this is a real thing.” It’s been beautiful, honestly. I’ve wanted this for so long, and I’ve imagined what it would be like—the projects, the conversations, the people I’d meet. I’m meeting some of my idols, like Gregg Araki. And I say this without wishing it at all, but even if it all ended now, I’d be floored. Anything after this really feels like a cherry on top.
MR: I think there’s going to be a lot more. With so many new offers surely coming in, how are you deciding what to sign on to next?
CS: As an actor, I have a pretty broad range of what I appreciate, which kind of makes option paralysis more feasible. It really just comes down to the part. I’m a very visual person, so if I read something and I can see it plainly, I feel excited and comfortable right away. With Ilya, for example, the moment I read it, I could fully see that person and embody him. Going forward, I just want to be in more things. I’ve never really done a comedy, I’ve never really done a horror—I’m still very new to working. I want to stretch out, be bold, and see what sticks.
MR: How familiar were you with the romance novel world before this? It’s such a massive genre.
Connor Storrie wears mesh jersey t-shirt, technical mesh pants GUCCI | Quatre Classique Edition cuff, Quatre Radiant Edition earrings, Jack de Boucheron long necklace and reflect watch BOUCHERON
CS: My only connection to the reading world was my sister, who’s a very big reader. But it’s funny—looking back, I don’t even really register it as a romance. I think Ilya, specifically, has so much going on in his personal life that the romance feels more like a byproduct of his human experience. I’m honestly jealous of people who discover reading as their pastime. I was talking to Rachel [Reid], the author, yesterday, and she asked if I’d read the book. I was like, honestly, the only books I’ve read in the past few years are Heated Rivalry and The Long Game. So no, I wasn’t familiar with romance at all, but I definitely see the power of it. I think reading in that way is really good for your brain. And the people I’ve met through book culture are great—it’s a cool fan base. They’re incredibly enthusiastic, bright, and emotional.
MR: The show was a massive hit, which one could pretty easily deem as unexpected for a host of reasons. How do you hope the show’s success impacts Hollywood?
CS: Well, because I write and direct as well—and I’m in the middle of finishing production on my iPhone feature—the press of this really kind of took over. I’ve been trying to piece together little places where I can take something I learned personally and something I think is mirrored in this. I mean, there was still so much money and resources that went into making Heated Rivalry, even though it’s definitely considered a small thing. It’s been really inspiring to me to show that something doesn’t necessarily have to be hundreds of millions of dollars in order to be cool and watchable. And I think that could be inspiring to more independent-style film or TV makers. Is it nice to have $100 million to make something? One hundred percent. But I think it shows that bigger isn’t always better. And people really do just love connection, you know? And that’s what this is, and that’s what people care about. That’s why the net of people who flock to this is so wide and diverse. People just love to connect.
DISCOVER THE EXTENDED COVER STORY IN THE DELUXE EDITION OF VMAN 56: AVAILABLE ON SHOP.VMAGAZINE.COM BEGINNING MARCH 21, 2026.
This cover story appears in the pages of VMAN 56: hitting global newsstands starting March 16, 2026!
Photography Luigi & Iango
Fashion Anna Trevelyan
Creative Director / Editor-in-Chief Stephen Gan
Interview Mathias Rosenzweig
Makeup Georgi Sandev (Forward Artists)
Hair Lauren Berrones (Home Agency) using Balmain Hair & GHD
Casting Greg Krelenstein (GK-LD)
Editor Kev Ponce
Fashion Market Editor Copelyn Bengel
Production Alexey Galetskiy (AGP NYC)
Photo Assistants Tutu Lee, Francisco Betancourt
Styling Assistants Damien Lloyd, Frankie Benkovic
Production Assistant Justin Barahona
Cinematographer Lukas Chmiel