Hudson Williams has a new project that required just as much chemistry but a very different kind of performance. The actor, known for his role as hockey player Shane Hollander in the hit series Heated Rivalry, reunited with his co-star Connor Storrie for an audio series. They voice two rival fae princes in a fantasy romance for the audio erotica app Quinn.
The project, called Ember & Ice, marks a quick and smart move by Quinn to tap into the massive popularity of the two actors. Their show Heated Rivalry premiered in late November 2025 and quickly made them internet favorites. Quinn’s team developed the idea in mid-November, recorded the series in mid-December, and launched a promotional campaign right after. Their fast work paid off—the app reportedly crashed due to high demand when the series was released.
The three-episode story is a departure from Quinn’s usual format. It is their first “duet” style original, where the intimate scenes happen between the two lead characters, not between a character and the listener. Williams and Storrie play Prince Finn and Prince Dane, two fae princes from feuding kingdoms who are trapped in a years-long forbidden affair.
A Different Kind of Intimacy in the Recording Booth
Recording an audio erotica series presented a unique challenge for Hudson Williams. Without the physicality of a film or TV set, the actors had to create a sensual and compelling world using only their voices.
“I think there is something very interesting about exploring sensuality and erotica just with your voice,” Williams told Cosmopolitan. “It’s like you’re private, you’re alone there with a mic and an audio engineer and you just get to kind of be in your own world and figure out what that means to you and you don’t have your body to express yourself. So that element is really fun”.
Williams clearly embraced the challenge. He joked about the intensity of the recording sessions, saying, “I was very steamy in that booth”.
His co-star, Connor Storrie, also found the experience new and engaging. “Before working with Quinn, I had never been in the audio space. I had a lot of fun, to be completely honest,” Storrie said.
From Hockey Rivals to Fae Princes: A Rapid Collaboration
The partnership between Quinn and the Heated Rivalry stars happened with remarkable speed. According to an interview with Quinn’s CEO Caroline Spiegel and social media team, the idea was first developed in mid-November 2025. This was just before Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO Max on November 28, 2025.
The Quinn team, noticing early fan excitement for the TV series, reached out to the actors’ teams. The full audio story was written between late November and early December, recorded in mid-December, and the promotional video was shot on December 16. The first two episodes of Ember & Ice were released on December 30, 2025, with the third and final episode coming out on January 6, 2026.
Caroline Spiegel explained the quick strategy: “The internet moves quickly from one story, trend, or obsession to the next, so it’s essential that we move just as fast to meet those cultural moments as they emerge”.
A Controversy Over a Social Media Edit
The promotion for Ember & Ice was not without a problem. Quinn faced criticism after editing a word from a video interview with Williams and Storrie. In a clip posted to social media, Williams discussed why male/male romance stories resonate with women.
In the full interview, Williams said, “there are straight women, there are trans women, there are gay women, like queer women”. However, in the shorter version Quinn posted, the words “trans women” were removed. This edit sparked immediate backlash from fans who called it exclusionary.
Quinn initially responded on social media, suggesting the edit was made because “it’s not a sexual orientation and he was listing sexual orientations”. After continued criticism, the company issued a formal apology on January 4, 2026. They stated, “We made a mistake. We understand why this edit was offensive and exclusionary, and we sincerely apologize”. Quinn also announced a $25,000 donation to Trans Lifeline, a crisis support service for the transgender community.
Real-Life Friendship Fuels On-Screen and On-Mic Chemistry
The powerful connection audiences see and hear between Williams and Storrie is rooted in a genuine off-screen friendship. Both actors have spoken openly about their close bond, which developed during the intense process of filming Heated Rivalry.
“Me and Hudson had the chemistry down before we even started acting,” Storrie told Vanity Fair. Williams added, “We got comfortable just being inches from each other’s face and invading each other’s personal space,” joking that it was “a nightmare for HR”.
This comfort allows them to be physically affectionate in public, which Storrie notes is often misinterpreted. He explained that their easy touch—like a hand on a leg during an interview—comes from a deep friendship forged through a shared “crazy experience,” not from a romantic relationship. Williams has called Storrie his “best buddy”.
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What’s Next for the “Heated Rivalry” Stars
The launch of Ember & Ice is just one part of a busy time for Hudson Williams. It was exclusively announced that he will make his late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. This makes him the first lead actor from Heated Rivalry to be interviewed on a major mainstream late-night show.
Both Williams and Storrie will return for the already-confirmed second season of Heated Rivalry. The new season is expected to premiere in the early part of 2027. The first season, which catapulted both actors to fame, ended its six-episode run in late December 2025.
For now, fans can listen to the complete Ember & Ice series exclusively on the Quinn app. The audio series serves as a bridge between seasons for fans eager for more content featuring the duo’s celebrated chemistry.
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