Francois Arnaud talks about the popular series "Heated Rivalry." It follows rising hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. What begins as a fling between two rivals turns into a years-long journey of love, denial and self discovery.

François Arnaud joined CBS America to discuss the hit series 'Heated Rivalry,' which follows the story of two gay hockey players and has received significant attention for its portrayal of universal themes such as love, struggle, and acceptance. Arnaud noted that the show's authenticity and emotional depth have resonated with a broad audience, inspiring some viewers to embrace their identities or become more accepting of others.

Originally intended as a small Canadian streaming project, 'Heated Rivalry' was picked up by HBO shortly before its premiere, leading to greater exposure and acclaim. The series has been renewed for a second season, with Arnaud hinting at further exploration of the complexities faced by characters in the spotlight and those who prefer privacy.

François Arnaud on how 'Heated Rivalry' inspires real life

Francois Arnault, we're happy to say, joins us now. Congratulations, congratulations, bravo. I have to say, this was not on my bingo card. And when I heard, okay, it's about two gay hockey players, it's a secret, I thought, well, it's not really my type of thing. But so many people started talking about it. I said, I have to watch. And then I'm so hooked because it's so much bigger than a gay love story. There's the tenderness, the betrayal, the struggle. It's so cliche, but it just shows you love is love is love. That's what I kept thinking when I was watching this. What is it like for you in the middle of this, in the middle of this heat right now, what this role means to you? I mean, it's been a bit insane, to be honest, a bit overwhelming. We didn't expect it. We just made this show as a family. I've known Jacob, the creator, for 17 years. When he called me to do this, I fell in love with the script and the story. I just thought, it just rang so true to me. I think even though it is a gay love story, I think it has mass appeal because we all live, I think men live under the pressure of this masculinity and what that means. And I think a lot of people can relate to that. And I think straight men can relate to that. And I think a lot of women can relate to that because they've lived with men. I know, but it's so funny because I'm listening to the dialogue. I go, I wish somebody would say that to me. I wish somebody felt that way about me. I wish I felt like that about- Oh, I'm sure they do. I'm sure they do. Oh, where are they, Francois? That's a whole nother story. Speak up. But this is another thing about it. I think that people who are watching it may think, there's somebody, I believe, watching you right now that's feeling, you know, I'm a closeted person. I can't come out. I wish that I had the courage to come out. Somebody right now is looking and will watch that and say, I think I can do it. Do you feel that? Yeah, and I think that people seeing, people who are in that situation, like such a positive reaction to the show, hopefully it tells them that it's okay. Are people reaching out to you? Are you hearing these kinds of stories? Yes, yes, I have been. I mean, some people reached out and said that it gave them the courage to say something and be themselves, or it changed their reaction to a family member doing that to them and made them want to be more accepting and embracing of that, so. I see that. So we gotta talk about the sex because the sex scenes are very steamy and that's part of what's been written about the series is how much chemistry there is between all of you on the show, and you've said something interesting. You said that it's not so much about the sex. It's about a portrayal of emotionally available men. Agreed. What does that mean for people who are wondering? Well, I think the hook is the sex. You know, that's how the first two episodes start. Yeah. They're very like, unhanging. Even Marianne, when we were watching it, she said, is this the first episode? And I said, yes, it is. Yeah. Did I play episode five out of six? Yeah, and that's how they get people, and I think that's why it comes as such a surprise, I think, when it becomes so emotionally affecting and people think, like, I'm watching the hot hockey show and, oh, wow, I'm crying now with what happened. I know. I got all choked up a couple of times watching it, but what's interesting is this was just supposed to be a small show on a platform that most of us haven't heard about. A streaming platform. On a streaming platform. In Canada. In Canada. And kudos to HBO. They picked it up when? Two weeks before the premiere. Two weeks before. And decided to air it on the day, on the same day. Yeah. As Crave, which is the Canadian streamer. And to be fair, though, I don't think this show could have been made in the US. You don't? It was set up at a big streamer before, and they had so many notes and so many thoughts on what that show could be that Jacob decided to leave them and get it made in Canada where it was, you know, granted a much smaller budget, but he was like, I can do the show that I want to make. And I think that's what people are responding to. And I think in a way, it's a huge lesson for Hollywood people. Like, this is like a niche show, niche thing. Like, no movie stars. And it's a much bigger sensation than like. So he was getting a lot of notes. That's interesting about you two. Yeah, that's really interesting. No kissing. No kissing until episode five. No kissing until episode five. Oh, boo. So it's been picked up for season two, right? Which is amazing. And at the heart of this story, in addition to Shane and Ilya, is your connection to Kip. By the way, we have these smoothies on. And in the scene that we showed, you can see the smoothie because Kip is a smoothie maker. No, but you always come in on game day. On game day. And you order this smoothie, right? With an extra banana. So what would you like to see? Cheers for Kip and Scott next season. Well, seeing the clip now, I think Kip needs to stop working out. What? He's a smoothie boy. He shouldn't have that body. He should look better than the hockey players. But what's your hope for your character's arc? Because I don't want to give away what happens to the two of you, because you start out in the beginning of the first couple episodes. Well, that kind of gives it away right there. Oh, okay. Well, there it is. There it is. So you come out on the ice. On the ice. Yes. Epic moment. Yes. Well, I'm hoping to see what reality has in store for them. You know, a relationship between someone who's uber famous, has a giant platform, and someone who didn't choose that for themselves. There are still challenges that come with that. And so I think we might explore that angle, but I don't know. Season two already picked up. I can't wait to see it. Continued success. Congratulations. I love that it's so unexpected and everybody's raving about it. Bravo, bravo, bravo. Yeah, well done. Congratulations. Francois Arnaud, thank you very much. Heated Rivalry is streaming now on HBO Max.

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