Kamal Ghorui
Turns out, sliding into the DMs isn’t reserved for commoners only! François Arnaud, who stars as Scott Hunter in the hit LGBTQ+ hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry’, just dropped a story that has everyone talking: a big-name actress slid into his Instagram DMs. He spilled the details during his appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and it’s the kind of Hollywood surprise that keeps the internet buzzing.
The DM drama: What happened?
So, who reached out to Arnaud? None other than Oscar-winner Helen Hunt. François grinned as he shared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, “Helen Hunt slid into my DMs. She said, ‘I love you in this and everything else.’” Turns out, Helen actually watched the show, liked it enough to dig into his other work, and decided to tell him about it. For François, that was wild. He himself is a fan of hers, and suddenly she’s in his inbox talking about his performance. “She’s going through my filmography,” he laughed, clearly flattered.And Helen wasn’t shy about her Heated Rivalry obsession. She blasted her love for the show all over Instagram too, calling it, “This f***king show is incredible. They are so good. What is happening!!??!!!” If Arnaud’s inbox couldn’t handle the enthusiasm, her followers definitely got the message.
‘Heated Rivalry’: What is it about
For the unversed who haven’t caught ‘Heated Rivalry’ yet, here’s the quick lowdown.Jacob Tierney created, wrote, and directed this Canadian sports romance, which brings Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels to life. The heart of the show is the complicated relationship between rivals Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie): teammates on the ice, secret lovers off it. Their story digs into what it means to be vulnerable, masculine, and honest in a world that’s not always welcoming. François plays Scott, an older forward, figuring out his own path and relationships.‘Heated Rivalry’ premiered in November 2025 and landed on OTT platform(s) soon after. It shot up the charts as one of the season’s most-watched series. While critics loved its gritty, real approach to sports and identity, the audience loved the way it spotlights LGBTQ+ stories where you least expect them — inside the rough-and-tumble world of hockey. Season one did so well that the show locked in a second season almost right away.Beyond all the on-ice drama, ‘Heated Rivalry’s real draw is its honest look at love, loyalty, and the pressure to hide your true self. Viewers connected hard with Scott and his love interest, Kip Grady (played by Robbie G.K.), and the show’s best moments are the ones that feel raw and real.As for the future of the show, ‘Heated Rivalry Season 2’ has officially been greenlit, and fans are counting down to see how these tangled relationships and storylines will shake out. In fact, François and the rest of the cast have teased even deeper character arcs, especially for Scott and Kip, who stole plenty of scenes last season.
