SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about Episode 5 of “Heated Rivalry,” now streaming on HBO Max.
Robbie G.K. did some method auditioning when he read for the role of hockey champion Scott Hunter in “Heated Rivalry.”
“I think living in Canada, I have a stereotypical view of what hockey is and what hockey people are like,” the actor tells me via Zoom from Toronto, where he’s visiting family for the holidays. “I had like a mullet and a mustache going on.”
G.K. didn’t get the part. But no matter, because series creator Jacob Tierney asked him to play Kip Grady, the juice bar worker who has a steamy and emotional romance with the very closeted Scott, played by François Arnaud, in episode 3.
G.K. had chemistry reads with a couple of other actors before Arnaud. “After I did the one with François, I texted Jacob right after and I said, ‘That was the last one, wasn’t it?’ Because I could tell just by us reading it that it really felt like it went from a scripted conversation to a real conversation,” G.K. recalls. “I think that’s a testament to François’ ability of just making it feel so authentic. I was like, ‘Oh, wow. This is the first time this hasn’t felt like a chemistry read. This just feels like we’re talking.’”
At the end of Episode 3, Scott and Kip break up. Even so, Kip returns in Episode 5. He is in the stands when Scott’s team wins the Stanley Cup. During the final scene, Scott motions for Kip to join him in the rink as his team is celebrating the championship. Then, in one of the show’s most jaw-dropping moments, Scott comes out of the closet by kissing Kip. The episode then cuts to Ilya (Connor Storrie) telling Shane (Hudson Williams) he is going to take him up on his offer to spend some of the summer with him at his vacation cottage.
“I knew it was going to be a very moving moment, of course, but it’s very different from when you film something like that and you’re in a hockey rink and there’s no music, and the whole build-up of everything,” G.K. says. “When I first watched it, I was just giddy about it. I think this is the moment where all these storylines intersect. I’m glad it turned out as it did. It’s much better than anything I could have ever imagined.”
Heated Rivalry – (L to R) François Arnaud as Scott Hunter and Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady in Episode 105 of Heated Rivalry. Cr. Sabrina Lantos © 2025
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It took about seven takes to get the kiss just right. “It was a fun day,” G.K. says. “That was my last day on set, so it was kind of an emotional day. It felt like a good little button to that storyline.”
While “Heated Rivalry,” which is based on Rachel Reid’s queer romance novel series “Game Changers,” has been picked up for a second season, G.K. doesn’t know yet if Kip will return.
“There is a whole world to explore after this,” he says. “I know that they are sticking to the books and that’s super exciting. And I know that ‘The Long Game’ has a lot in it, and the next couple of books have a lot of content in them, too. But outside of the show alone, I left that set feeling like this was one of the best projects I’ve ever worked on, just because of the people. I would do absolutely anything to be back in that setting.”
I was at a big gay Hanukkah party last night, and all anyone wanted to talk about was “Heated Rivalry.” They were checking their phones to see if they’d be home in time to watch Episode 5.
No way. That is crazy. Honestly, it’s been such a whirlwind. Last night, I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about the episode. Usually, anything that I’m in, I’m like,”This is garbage,” and I can’t fix it. But I was like, “I’ll watch the screener and maybe do some laundry just so I’m up to date and everything.” I found myself in my underwear, having done no laundry, sitting there giggling, watching the whole episode. I’m glad everyone is enjoying it as much as I am.
We have to see your audition with the mullet and mustache.
I don’t think that is going to see the light of day, so I’ll have to show it to you in person at some point. The costume designer was Hanna Puley, who I worked with on “Overcompensating” [G.K. played nurse Riley in Benito Skinner’s coming-of-age Prime Video comedy series]. I was like, “Girl, I think we have to try to keep this. I think it fits for New York City.” Ultimately, we decided not to do that, but it was fun to try.
Do you think Scott and Kip could have a future together? From what I can tell, this is Scott’s first relationship with a man, maybe the first time he’s ever really been with a man. And he asked Kip to move in the morning after their first night together.
Yeah, it was like in 10 seconds. François and I have chatted about this, and without a doubt, I think that there’s obviously a relationship that continues to exist. There’s so much to explore after this point, right? There are these weird parallels because the same way that the show is exploding and the episodes are exploding, the same thing would happen on an even bigger scale for Kip.
How was it doing the sex scenes? You worked with an intimacy coordinator, but it’s pretty steamy and you’re saying things like, “Will you fuck me?”
Honestly, it was great. That was my first time doing any type of intimacy scene past kissing on camera with anyone. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. François is such a professional, and he’s obviously been in the industry and worked so much that I kind of leaned on him during those scenes. Once we started doing it, I was like, “Oh, this is so chill, and it feels so welcoming. I feel very comfortable.” Jacob made it clear from the start that our sex scenes or our montage was going to have a different flavor than the first two episodes.
How much pressure are you feeling to stay in shape now, especially if you’re back for Season 2?
I’m enjoying the holidays. I’m gonna have a lot of turkey, and I have as many desserts as I can. I think we got quite some time until, if I am fortunate enough to be involved in anything after this, to work on it. I can be unrecognizable in the next three days.
I think the show is going to help a lot of people who are struggling with their sexuality. Do you feel that?
That is something that I am still processing as well. I’ve gotten a lot of messages since Episode 3 came out from all over the world from people who are saying, “I live here in this country and being out is not really an option for me. I want you to know that seeing all this and this type of representation is priceless.” Without getting too cliche and too sappy, it is so moving and so beautiful. Growing up in musical theater, I have a lot of friends who have gone through that journey in different stages. I’ve seen firsthand the impact of having role models or having TV shows or any media like this. To be a part of something that allows these people to feel even for a second that there’s a world out there that exists for them is priceless.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
