‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Connor Storrie Channels Ilya Rozanov in SNL Teaser Before His Host Gig
The 25-year-old Heated Rivalry breakout star is hosting Saturday Night Live on Feb. 28, and a promotional clip showcasing his accent skills is already making the rounds.
SNL dropped a promotional video on Instagram on Wednesday, Feb. 25, featuring Connor Storrie in an “accent duel” with castmember James Austin Johnson. The setup starts with castmembers Marcello Hernandez and Ashley Padilla complimenting Storrie’s Russian accent from Heated Rivalry, where he plays Ilya Rozanov, a Russian hockey player. Storrie casually responds that he does all kinds of accents.
Johnson then enters in full cowboy mode. “Did someone say all kinds of accents?” he drawls. “Well I reckon this here show ain’t big enough for the both of us.”
Storrie stands up, puts on his own cowboy hat, and fires back: “I reckon it ain’t, partner.”
From there, Padilla and Hernandez call out random accents and both Storrie and Johnson deliver their versions. The prompts range from “German” and “Cajun” to “French,” “Shakespeare,” “Shrek,” and “Jamaican” — both dueling partners agree that “guys like us” probably shouldn’t be doing that last one. The finishing blow is Russian. Storrie nails it, delivering the line “when you get to hell, they’ll know Rozanov sent you,” then shooting Johnson and winning the duel. Perfect.
Mumford and Sons will be the musical guest for the episode.
The Show Driving the Buzz
Heated Rivalry, a Crave Canadian show adapted from Rachel Reid’s book series, has become a streaming phenomenon that caught the industry off guard. Storrie stars alongside Hudson Williams in the series.
The numbers are striking. In Canada, Heated Rivalry is now the most-watched original series ever on Bell Media’s Crave streamer. In the U.S., it’s the top-rated non-animated acquired series on HBO Max since that platform launched in 2020. It also sits in the top five among all scripted debuts on HBO Max this year, according to Variety.
A Canadian acquisition outperforming homegrown HBO Max programming is a notable data point in a fractured streaming landscape where platforms are constantly searching for their next hit.
How Storrie Built the Accent
Storrie, a Texas native, didn’t know Russian before booking the role. His approach to building the accent went beyond standard preparation.
“It was about time and consistency,” Storrie told Behind the Blinds in an interview released Jan. 5. “The moment I got out of the car on set, I started speaking with the accent to all the PAs, all the ADs, hair, makeup, and wardrobe people. I stayed in it until the last cut of the day. Not because I was ‘in character,’ but because it gave me an hour and a half to warm up.”
He admitted the accent felt “ridiculous at first.”
“You think, ‘I don’t sound like that,’” he continued. “Of course you don’t. But if you normalize it—both for yourself and for the people around you—it starts to feel real. I think that’s why people convince themselves they’re bad at accents. They don’t give themselves permission to sound wrong at first.”
Storrie’s SNL episode airs Saturday, Feb. 28 on NBC.
BOTTOM LINE: Storrie’s SNL appearance marks the moment a surprise streaming hit crosses over into the broader cultural mainstream — and his viral promo clip suggests he has the comedic range to back it up.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
