Connor Storrie previously said he was ready to leave his signature curls behind. Now, the Heated Rivalry actor has done exactly that as work continues on Season 2.
Connor Storrie’s new Ilya look has ‘Heated Rivalry’ fans demanding his curls back
Months before revealing the shorter style, Storrie discussed his hair in a Teen Vogue video posted in December.
“I’m ready to cut this stuff off if y’all want me to be completely honest,” he said. “I’m ready to shave my head. I don’t know who’s out there, but someone hire me and give me a crazy haircut.”
Storrie, 26, plays Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov in the Crave series. Connor Storrie’s new haircut became public Sunday when he stepped out in Toronto with co-star Christina Chang.
Fans quickly reacted to the change. “WHERE ARE HIS CURLS HE CAN’T SEE WITHOUT HIS CURLS,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another wrote, “This has to be AI. I’m gonna cry.”
The hairstyle also differs from Ilya’s appearance in Rachel Reid’s The Long Game. The sixth Game Changers novel provides the source material for Heated Rivalry Season 2 and describes the character with long hair.
Viewers have since shared theories about why Ilya will have shorter hair. Some connected the look to his Russian background. Others suggested it could relate to the character’s Season 2 storyline involving depression. The source did not confirm a reason for the change.
Storrie has also begun filming the new season. He recently shot scenes outside Turner Family Funeral Home Ltd. in Dundas, Ontario, according to the Hamilton Spectator.
One fan argued that the hairstyle would matter less once Storrie reunited on screen with Hudson Williams, who plays Shane.
“Once we see Shane and Ilya interact again on our screens, all of this will be forgotten,” the viewer wrote. “A haircut does not chemistry make.”
Storrie still sports his curls in his Saint Laurent fall 2026 campaign, which currently appears on a multi-story Sunset Boulevard billboard in Los Angeles.
Crave plans to debut Heated Rivalry Season 2 in spring 2027.
Originally reported by Ashna Gaur for Reality Tea
