You and Hudson Williams have said that during the audition process, you both singled each other out to Jacob. When it came time to film on set, was there a moment or scene where you felt validated in that instinct, that you made the right call?
The entire time. I feel like it wasn’t even on set that that was validated, because I think we had the acting down. I mean, I know this is about the acting, but I think it felt validated just with the natural flow of things. We had such a natural flow that, you know, everyone talks about the chemistry, the chemistry — and that really starts by just trusting each other.
I don’t think people could have the sort of on-screen chemistry that Hudson and I have without genuinely embracing each other in real life and really feeling seen and heard and safe. That’s when it felt validated and real to me.
Have you read the synopsis yet for Rachel Reid’s third Shane and Ilya book, “Unrivaled”?
No, I’ve been talking to her. I mean, not to, you know, toot my own horn, but I knew way before it was announced that that was happening.
Rachel has become a very, very dear friend of mine. She is so supportive, which was such a blessing. I talk about this all the time, but I think the book-to-screen adaptation can be really tricky sometimes. Either the author not being fully on board, or the fans of the books not being fully on board. And I think that’s why this was so successful — those two key elements were super gung ho and were super enthusiastic the entire time.
So, yeah, I got a little inside scoop, but I don’t know what it’s about.
Do you have any big dreams for what could happen to Shane and Ilya?
I don’t know, I think we leave them off in Season 1 at a place where — I’ve read “The Long Game,” and I’ve read some of the other books in the series, so I know other elements of their story.
All I know is that going forward, the connection is going to deepen. And as vulnerability rises, so does some of your personal issues that follow along with it. And now that it’s out in the open that they like each other, it’s really just about, what do you do with that, and what does that look like in your day to day?
In our Rachel Reid interview, she said, “I don’t remember what Ilya used to look like. I can’t see him in my head anymore.” What does that mean to you as an actor?
That’s crazy. When I first met Rachel on set, I remember she was like, not really looking at me. And at first, I was so nervous, because I was like, “Oh, God, I’m a disappointment,” you know?
I mean, think about that. You’ve created these characters for years, and they have this huge following, this imagination. She gets sent fan art all the time. So to see a physical embodiment of that has to be so bizarre. But at first I was like, “Oh, no, I’m a disappointment.” And then without looking at me, she was like, “No, you’re perfect.” And I was like, OK, cool. If she’s saying that, that’s fine.
But we’ve talked about it. I think she did envision him a little bit different, but I think I’m about as close as it probably gets. (Laughs.)
Bringing to life a beloved book is a responsibility Connor Storrie doesn’t take lightly. “We have to acknowledge that before the show even came out, there’s a whole legion of people that love the book,” he said on TODAY.Marc J. Franklin / TODAYThe HBO Max distribution was announced less than two weeks before it was supposed to premiere on Crave in Canada. How did you find out that it was coming to the U.S.? How did that affect how you prepared for that Nov. 28 premiere?
That kind of jump started the press really quickly. Brendan (Brady, executive producer) and Jacob (Tierney, creator) were in a group text with me and Hudson. And they were like, “Hey boys, we need to hop on the phone.”
I knew it was going to be something. I did not know it was going to be HBO. I think HBO was kind of like a pie-in-the-sky moment for all of us. HBO is so prestigious, and I think it’s a really good platform for this, but, you know, nothing’s promised.
We were all so elated. Three days after that, I was on a plane, and I was in Canada for a week. And then I came back and started all the HBO press. It was crazy.
This interview was lightly edited for clarity.