Hudson Williams is the 25-year-old Canadian actor who plays Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry, the hockey romance series that became one of the biggest breakout hits of the 2025 to 2026 season. Born on February 13, 2001, in Kelowna, British Columbia, and raised in Kamloops, he went from short films and a restaurant job to a Canadian Screen Award for best lead performance in a drama series, which he won during the May 30 to 31, 2026 awards weekend, about six months after the show premiered.
His next big role is the mystery thriller Yaga, which starts on AMC+ on October 23, 2026. This profile covers his age and background, career, awards, upcoming projects, and the places where sources disagree.
Quick facts
- Age: 25 (born February 13, 2001; he turns 26 on February 13, 2027).
- Birthplace: Kelowna, British Columbia; raised in Kamloops, British Columbia, per Wikipedia.
- Breakout role: Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry (premiered November 28, 2025).
- Biggest win so far: Canadian Screen Award, best lead performance in a drama series (awards weekend of May 30 to 31, 2026).
- Next: Yaga, premiering October 23, 2026 on AMC+; Heated Rivalry Season 2 is expected in April 2027.
Who Is Hudson Williams?
Hudson Williams is a Canadian actor, writer, and director. Before Heated Rivalry, his credits were small television and film parts. He signed with Creative Artists Agency in December 2025, according to Wikipedia, just after the show launched. He has also said he wants to direct a feature film from his own script within five years, per a January 2026 interview summarized by Wikipedia.
Hudson Williams Age, Birthplace and Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | February 13, 2001 |
| Age (Oct. 10, 2026) | 25 |
| Birthplace | Kelowna, British Columbia |
| Raised | Kamloops, British Columbia |
| Education | Sa-Hali Secondary School; Langara College acting certificate (2020) |
| Occupation | Actor, writer, director |
| Known for | Heated Rivalry (2025 to present) |
| Agency | Creative Artists Agency (signed December 2025) |
Where do sources disagree?
Wikipedia and the body text of a Gigwise explainer both give February 13, 2001, but Gigwise’s own FAQ says he was born in 2000, and the same article says he grew up in Kelowna in one place and Kamloops in another. We use 2001, born in Kelowna and raised in Kamloops, which is Wikipedia’s account. Local British Columbia news has framed the two cities as competing to claim him, and a CKPG Today headline put it as “B.C. cities face off for a piece of ‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams.”
His height is not given in the sources we reviewed, so we do not state one.
Hudson Williams’s Early Life and Education
According to Wikipedia, Williams began at a French immersion kindergarten, attended the Beattie School of the Arts in Kamloops, which focuses on dance, music, and theatre, and graduated from Sa-Hali Secondary School, where he played basketball and trained in mixed martial arts. He refocused on acting in grade 11.
In 2020, he moved to Vancouver and earned an acting certificate from Langara College’s Film Arts program. He then worked as a restaurant server in New Westminster while writing and directing short films, including his first, Snow Angel.
Hudson Williams’s Career Before Heated Rivalry
| Project | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Allegiance (CBC) | Junior | Episode “IRL” |
| Nobody Dumps My Daughter (TV film) | Sean | |
| All I Need for Christmas (TV film) | TJ | |
| Tracker (CBS) | Brandon Stokes | Episode “The Disciple” |
| Devil Makes Three | Ensemble | Best Ensemble win at the 2024 Vancouver Badass Film Festival |
The credits and awards in this table are as listed on Wikipedia; the page’s table gives years for Allegiance and Tracker, but its body text does not, so we leave the years out.
Heated Rivalry: Hudson Williams’s Breakout Role
Heated Rivalry premiered on November 28, 2025, on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States. It was created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney and is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels. Williams plays Shane Hollander, a Montreal hockey star, in the six-episode first season, opposite Connor Storrie as Boston’s Ilya Rozanov. Season 2 was confirmed in December 2025 and is expected in April 2027, per Wikipedia.
Williams and Storrie also appeared together off the main series. Williams voiced Prince Finn Lunare in the audio series Ember & Ice in December 2025 and January 2026, and he had a cameo as himself on Saturday Night Live on February 28, 2026, the night Storrie hosted. Read more about his co-star in our Connor Storrie profile.
Hudson Williams’s Awards and Nominations
The Canadian Screen Awards were held over a weekend: a scripted-TV gala on Saturday, May 30, and the televised ceremony in Toronto on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Heated Rivalry won 16 awards across the two events (13 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday), a new record that beat BlackBerry‘s 13 wins in 2024, according to CP24. CP24 does not say which night Williams’s award was presented. Williams won the lead performer award for playing Shane Hollander. CP24 also reported that Storrie, who is American, was not eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards, and that Williams said he wished he could share the win with him and called him an “honorary Canadian.”
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2026 | Best leading performance, drama series | Won | CP24, Wikipedia |
| ACTRA Awards | 2026 | Members’ Choice Series Ensemble | Won | Wikipedia |
| Gold Derby TV Awards | 2026 | Best Drama Actor; Breakthrough Performer of the Year; Ensemble of the Year | Won | Wikipedia |
| Hollywood ShortsFest | 2026 | Best First-Time Director (Rancid) | Won | Wikipedia |
| Dorian Awards | 2026 | Best TV Performance, Drama | Nominated | Wikipedia |
| Television Critics Association Awards | 2026 | Individual Achievement in Drama | Nominated | Wikipedia |
Wikipedia adds that his Canadian Screen Award made him the youngest winner in that category, at age 25. He was 25 on those dates (our calculation), but we could not confirm the “youngest winner” claim in a second source, so treat it as unverified.
Why wasn’t Williams nominated for an Emmy?
Heated Rivalry was not part of the 2026 Emmy race. Reports differ on the reason, as we explain in our Connor Storrie profile: one outlet cites the show’s Canadian origin, and another cites the eligibility window. Storrie received a nomination for hosting SNL.
What’s Next for Hudson Williams
- Yaga: an eight-episode, half-hour mystery thriller. It premieres Friday, October 23, 2026, with two episodes, on AMC+ in the U.S., with new episodes weekly and a finale on November 27, according to BroadwayWorld. It is a Crave Original in Canada. Williams plays Henry Park, a young fishery heir who has disappeared; a private investigator played by Noah Reid arrives in the coastal town of Whittock to find him.
- Heated Rivalry Season 2: expected in April 2027.
- Other announced roles, per Wikipedia: a recurring part in Netflix’s limited series The Altruists, about the FTX collapse; a lead role opposite Dylan O’Brien in the film Apparatus; and a role in David Weil’s thriller Tyrant, which also stars Charlize Theron, Julia Garner and Demi Moore. Both films were in post-production at the time of that report. We did not confirm release dates for any of the three.
Fans, Privacy and Public Statements
In March 2026, Williams and co-star François Arnaud issued a joint statement condemning bigoted and parasocial behavior from some fans, per Wikipedia. Williams has also spoken publicly about paparazzi and unwanted photography. We do not cover his private relationships or other personal details beyond what he has chosen to share about his work.
Hudson Williams Net Worth
There is no reliable public figure for Hudson Williams’s net worth, and we do not estimate one. His pay for Heated Rivalry and Yaga has not been reported in the sources we reviewed. One explainer gives a range with no stated method, which we do not repeat.
For context on how TV pay works, see our guide to how much TV actors earn per episode.
Timeline of Hudson Williams’s Rise
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| February 13, 2001 | Born in Kelowna, British Columbia |
| 2020 | Moves to Vancouver; earns Langara College acting certificate |
| November 28, 2025 | Heated Rivalry premieres |
| December 2025 | Signs with CAA; Season 2 confirmed |
| February 28, 2026 | Cameo on Saturday Night Live |
| May 30 to 31, 2026 | Wins Canadian Screen Award (awards weekend) |
| October 23, 2026 | Yaga premieres on AMC+ |
| April 2027 | Heated Rivalry Season 2 expected |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Hudson Williams?
- He was born on February 13, 2001, and turns 26 on February 13, 2027.
Where is Hudson Williams from?
He was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, and raised in Kamloops, according to Wikipedia.
What is Hudson Williams best known for?
Playing Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry, which premiered on November 28, 2025.
Did Hudson Williams win an award for Heated Rivalry?
Yes. He won the Canadian Screen Award for best lead performance in a drama series during the awards weekend of May 30 to 31, 2026.
When does Yaga premiere?
October 23, 2026, on AMC+, with weekly episodes after the two-episode premiere. It is also a Crave Original in Canada.
When does Heated Rivalry Season 2 come out?
April 2027 is the expected date, per Wikipedia and TV Guide.
Is Hudson Williams Canadian?
Yes. That is why he was eligible for the Canadian Screen Awards, while American co-star Connor Storrie was not.
What is Hudson Williams’s net worth?
No reliable figure has been published.
Hudson Williams Profile: Summary
Hudson Williams, 25, was born in Kelowna, raised in Kamloops, and spent years in small roles before Heated Rivalry made him a breakout star in late 2025. He won a Canadian Screen Award on the May 30 to 31, 2026 awards weekend, stars in Yaga from October 23, and returns for Season 2 in April 2027. Sources differ on small details of his birth year and where he grew up, and his net worth and pay are not public.
