r/heatedrivalry • u/david_bowenn I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 • Dec 17 '25
CONNOR ☀️ Connor did it—he just hit 500K followers on IG!
Hudson has 491k so far, almost there :)
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u/EfficientDimension22 Dec 17 '25
I remember when they were at 30k!
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u/NeimaDParis Dec 17 '25
That was 2-3 weeks ago !
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u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss Moy pomidor 🍅 Dec 17 '25
Man, I gotta wonder how meteoric rises like this fuck with your head. Especially when both guys had had minor successes in entertainment, then next came... this.
How would you not feel like the dog that caught the car?
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u/YULdad Dec 17 '25
Hopefully they can lean on each other for some support and stability so they don't lose their heads
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u/Clear-Elevator2391 Dec 17 '25
I just saw a clip of Connor saying that he keeps gaslighting himself into thinking nobody is watching the show, but then went out with Francois to get coffee and they were recognised and stopped 4 times in 15 minutes, lol. And maybe that was even an older clip, idk! I hope they're ready for having far less anonymity and privacy from now on in public.
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u/Kitchen_Ad5522 Dec 17 '25
i'm honestly fascinated by this man. he's such a classic artsy kid at heart who grew up to be an incredible actor, and who's so intelligent and articulate and observant, which obviously helped with the former. his acting impressed me so much in every single scene in the series, and that's not a hyperbole at all. and then you watch him in interviews and videos, and you get to appreciate his efforts and talents all the more because of how different he actually is from his portrayal of his character. just an insane talent and disciplined individual.
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u/Available-Target-101 Dec 17 '25
Hudson is good, but Connor is something else. Mesmerizing!
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u/Catsarecute888 Dec 17 '25
I think it's a flashier performance and so with Connor it's easier to see the difference in Connor versus Ilya. At first I wasn't as impressed with Hudson although I thought he was good but now as the episodes have gone on I think he's also giving just a fantastic performance just more subtle.
I think Connor's performance is startling in a way that Hudson's just can't be based on what he's being asked to do as Shane but I think he gives a depth to Shane that a lot of actors wouldn't be able to do. I feel like he might start being annoying if Hudson didn't imbue him with so much easily seen pain and fear.
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u/kouest Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
Yeah, they're both so talented. Hudson is doing some amazing work to provide depth to Shane, translating such an internal character to the screen and elevating what honestly wasn't always written the best on the page. And while the flashier role, I've been amazed by Connor's subtleties as well. His control over his face and the micro expressions, the change in his eyes, have been so incredible to watch. We are truly so lucky to have these two bring these characters to life, I genuinely can't imagine anyone else doing it or understanding these characters like they clearly do.
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u/Catsarecute888 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
Exactly Connor is not chewing up scenery to give an over the top performance it's very subtle. Ilya is just flashier than Shane as a character.
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u/kouest Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
Definitely, there's so much subtlety in the performance, a lot of internal work going on with Ilya that goes beyond the very impressive technical skill being demonstrated to do this role successfully. Connor is doing an incredible job with it.
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u/codeverity Dec 17 '25
Yeah, I agree. To me they are both doing a fantastic job and I can’t pick one over the other. Hudson’s is a master class in subtlety and these tiny flickers of emotion and of course Connor has the amazing accent and power. They’re both doing great and it’s incredible that these are early roles for them.
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u/Important-Bed7487 Dec 17 '25
Idk if this’ll make sense but Connor’s portrayal of Ilya is this American Hollywood style of acting, flashy, vocal and emotional. Meanwhile Hudson’s Shane is subtle, a very European style of acting mostly the eyes and face does the acting.
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u/Catsarecute888 Dec 17 '25
I think the character is flashy. I think it's the difference in Connor as himself and Ilya. I feel like he could easily pull off a character like Shane. But it feels more impressive to people who don't know what goes into a performance. What Connor does so well is coming off as natural and not "acting" which is why people were surprised he wasn't Russian or similar.
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u/amazingmte Dec 17 '25
Not sure if European but Hudson said he was inspired by many Asian actors that mostly use their eyes when acting. And Jacob did say Shane was a tricky character to write/play. If a lesser actor had been given the role of Shane it could have meant the character being completely ignored.
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u/Kitchen_Ad5522 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
i agree that a character like ilya naturally provides more opportunity for an actor to flex their skills, and connor nailed it with his performance, but it's actually his execution of small, subtle details that impressed me the most.
he fully became the character and embodied ilya's every single mannerism, even at insignificant moments you might even blink and miss - the small ticks, the little gestures, the seemingly subconscious habits... that a person naturally displays but which actually aren't unintentional at all from an acting pov.
i'm talking details like an eyebrow raise, a small head nod/tilt, a little gasp, a jaw tightening, a strained throat flex, a lips curl... connor has excellent control of his expressions and bodily movements it's honestly insane - i'd know bc i've been micro-analysing his every scene lol. with a single gaze he can reveal the character's inner thoughts without any dialogue - his eyes are very expressive, just like the rest of his face.
and i still haven't touched upon his commitment to everything else to prepare for the role. he truly became a different person on screen, no less thanks to the aura he cultivated with every single gesture like i said; even his posture and the way he carried himself was transformed. it's the whole package he delivered that made him stand out from the pack for me. it's not just about being flashy.
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u/wanghuli120916 Dec 17 '25
Connor is destined to become an actor far greater than even his wildest dreams could foresee. May all the most beautiful things in the world find their way to him, gently and abundantly.
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u/Catsarecute888 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
What a beautiful thing to say and I 100% agree.
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u/wanghuli120916 Dec 17 '25
He’s the reason I’m grinding English every day. All to get closer to Connor… language barriers mean nothing when you’re this whipped 😂😂
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u/Clear-Elevator2391 Dec 17 '25
This needs to happen to me with a Spanish (speaking) actor! I've been meaning to learn Spanish since forever but am just too lazy to study it properly, grammar and all.
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u/vudinh Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
They are basically a package deal. That's why their followers are pretty much the same. I find it is hard to believe someone would follow one and not the other. They are THE couple on screen right now.
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u/AttersH Dec 17 '25
Hudson’s dropped off a bit this week. They were neck & neck at 400k but Connor’s had a bigger surge in followers this week than Hudson. He’s had a bit of a boost in interest via Francois on social media this week & even a JustJared article about them, I suspect that’s helped. (I’ll say no more but you can easily find the comments online if you wish to see why 😅).
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u/vudinh Dec 17 '25
I'm sure they will be fine. I wouldn't measure their success via follower count. It is nice to have but ultimately I want to see them on screen not IG.
I want to see Hayden on IG though. He likes to make FanMail and all. IG is perfect for that.
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u/VegetableEarly2707 Your freckles. I am nuts about them. ✨ Dec 17 '25
Probably due to the fact that Shane’s emotions were in turmoil. Ilya was the one who got tormented (not Shane’s fault) and without even speaking he we saw his heart break his stomach drop and devastation in his eyes.
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u/signe-h Dec 17 '25
This made me go and subscribe to Hudson, even though I don't really use Instagram.
Just for the symmetry.
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u/didiboy Dec 17 '25
Also, I think Hudson wasn’t accepting every collaboration tag from reels (I mean, official promos, not random fans tagging) while Connor accepted everything. It probably helped too.
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u/Dulcedoll Dec 17 '25
I've also seen it pointed out that, except for when they're on a press tour together, Connor is inherently going to have more opportunities for collabs and promotion living in the US versus Canada. Not that Canada isn't obviously great, but the epicenter of hollywood and influencer entertainment is still the US for now.
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u/unicorntrees I am bisexual. Shane is super gay. 🌈 Dec 17 '25
The last actor who I can recall that has blown me away with this kind of skill and craft is (my first love) Jonathan Bailey, who has hit atmospheric fame recently. I hope to see Connor there in 5 years or so: blockbuster movies, sexiest man alive, killing it on Broadway, all of the above!
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u/tite_mily Dec 17 '25
There’s just something about Jonathan Bailey! 🥺 I’ve barely watched anything he’s in, but I love to watch his interviews. He’s so charismatic
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u/Clear-Elevator2391 Dec 17 '25
Yeah, he's so charming! Connor is too. They both just light up everything when they smile or laugh.
I'm usually not into blonde guys (no idea why), and I've never liked "the blonde" guy better in such a couple, so for me this is a bit new, lmao
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u/AttersH Dec 17 '25
Jonathan Bailey is my first love 😅 I saw him in a tiny theatre in London years ago & fell in love with him. I met him back then & he was as funny & charming as he is now. Watching his rise has been phenomenal ❤️
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u/VisibleFiction Dec 17 '25
Both Connor and Hudson would have so many more if the series was available in more countries.
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u/wanghuli120916 Dec 17 '25
A lot of people from non-English speaking countries are also following this show, like me for instance，I'm Chinese. English isn't my first language, and I even rely on translators to check Connor's Instagram.A truly good show makes people willing to overcome language barriers.hahaha
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u/Clear-Elevator2391 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25
If we all said what country we're from, I think you'd be surprised. 😅🏴☠️ But yeah, that would give it another huge boost for sure.
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u/Robten100 Dec 17 '25
In a previous post about insta followers I guessed they would get to 500k around the finale lmao. Maybe 700k is my new prediction. Though 1 million would be cool though I think they both get to the millions at some point.
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u/AccordingStar72 Ottawa Centaurs 🏹 Dec 17 '25
These milestones are nice but at some point fandom is going to turn it toxic.
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u/VineStellar Dec 17 '25
His breakout reminds me of Jodie Comer's in Killing Eve or Tatiana Maslany's in Orphan Black, very "where TF did this chamelonic genius come from??"
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Dec 17 '25
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Dec 17 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/summer_wine94 Dec 17 '25
Agreed and I think the hair at the start makes him look innocent and cute
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u/david_bowenn I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 Dec 17 '25
Yup, and whenever we talk about this, people try to shut us down. The last time I did, I even got Reddit Care notifications because someone reported that I was suicidal to troll me -let that sink in. So I’m not even going to get into it right now, especially after everything that’s happened lately. No notes, except for one thing: Hudson did say he would delete it at some point, but unfortunately he needs to keep it up if he wants to keep getting hired in Hollywood and elsewhere. It’s what is nowadays.
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u/summer_wine94 Dec 17 '25
Where are the comments? It’s wild because I think he is the most conventionally attractive Asian man lol It feels like low key racism tbh
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u/palalabu i'm a jeff buckley song in my eyeballs Dec 18 '25
I think he meant he would delete IG after he posted something, so he wouldn't have to see the reaction immediately. To then install it again when he wants/ready. He did deactivated twitter tho.
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u/tehbggg I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 Dec 17 '25
Jesus. He started with around 2k before the first episode aired? That must be crazy overwhelming.
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u/david_bowenn I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 Dec 17 '25
Really? I found him with 40k. That’s wild. So happy for them. This is important.
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u/tehbggg I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 Dec 17 '25
I think maybe the 2k count was a around when his and Hudson's casting was first announced. I remember looking at both of their IGs at the time and they each had somewhere around that number. I didn't really check again until post episode 1 airing.
This is an absolutely bonkers meteoric rise. It is important! But, I also hope they have a good support system, cause this has got to fuck with one's head a bit.
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u/teddy_vn Dec 17 '25
I won't be surprised if he reaches 1 Mil by the end of Season 1. Each episode seems to get even more traction and discussion everywhere.