Jan. 8, 2026, 12:49 p.m. ET
An interview with Janelle James and Connor Storrie is drawing backlash for what some users deemed as an inappropriate question about his “Heated Rivalry” role.
After the “Abbott Elementary” actress and breakout actor presented nominations for March’s Actors Awards on Wednesday, Jan. 7, Variety senior editor Marc Malkin interviewed the pair. The red carpet mainstay asked if James had advice for Storrie’s first appearance at the show, previously known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, before getting into questions about Storrie’s role in the explicit HBO Max romance.
“When did you watch ‘Heated Rivalry’?” Malkin asked, with James, 46, joking that she watched the series “last night” before adding she had seen the show weeks ago at the recommendation of her assistant.
“So when you look at Connor now, and you think those scenes in ‘Heated Rivalry,’ what goes through your head?” Malkin asked the comedian, who quickly responded, “That’s not what I’m thinking about.”
James added: “I’m thinking about his excellent Russian accent that he does, I’m thinking about his characterization. I think that he is adorable, and he looks like a leading man. And I’m excited to see where he goes next.”
Storrie, 25, responded: “I appreciate that, thank you, you’re amazing.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Variety for comment.
Some users online suggested Malkin’s question was “highly inappropriate” and praised James’ handling of the question.
“Excuse me sir, but have you had any media training?” one user commented under Malkin’s post on Threads. “Shoutout to Janelle James for handling a highly inappropriate question with grace and using the opportunity to raise up a young actor, highlighting his skills and abilities instead of his sexuality. And well done Connor Storrie for acknowledging her response with kindness and humbleness.”
“What a terrible, gross, unnecessary question to ask Janelle to sexualize her fellow *actor* (not his character). Why put them both in that position?” another user wrote, while another person asked: “But why’d you have to make it weird?”
One person added: “It would be great if you focused on someone’s true talent instead of their body.“
During the nominations broadcast, James joked about Storrie’s steamy role as Russian hockey player Ilya, opposite on-ice foe Shane (Hudson Williams).
“Some of these nominees may still be in bed, I hope they set their alarms for this,” Storrie said while presenting.
“I’ve seen what you do in bed, and sleep was not it. No judgment though, on my part,” James joked, which got a big laugh in the room. “You saw that?” Storrie coyly responded.
A viral hit on HBO Max, “Heated Rivalry” is a Canadian romance about two professional male hockey players who fall in very explicit love. The series has become one of the most talked-about shows on television due to the graphic, nearly X-rated sex scenes between its two young stars.
The series has drawn intense fan speculation about Storrie and Williams’ sexualities, though series creator Jacob Tierney has tried to shut down that kind of chatter. “I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff,” Tierney told Xtra in November. “And that’s what’s so impressive about both of these guys is they came into this being like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic and to be as real as possible.’ And they [expletive] hit it out of the park.”
Contributing: Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY
