Pedro Pascal Can't Resist Prime’s Gay Hockey Romance Heated Rivalry
Already making headlines, Prime Video’s gay romance Heated Rivalry just scored a star-powered boost from The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal, who has been liking and commenting on posts about the series. His social show of support is turning up the heat.
Pedro Pascal is apparently as hooked on Heated Rivalry as the rest of the internet. And yes, the way we know this is by tracking his likes and emoji choice. Welcome to 2025.
Pedro Pascal just joined the fandom
Buzzing Pop flagged it on X: Pascal has been liking and dropping comments on posts about Prime Video's buzzy gay romance series Heated Rivalry. The stand-out moment came from a reel by @francisdominiic, who filmed his local sports bar absolutely losing it at the end of episode 5. Pascal's official Instagram, @pascalispunk, not only liked the clip but left three red hearts in the comments. When @francisdominiic posted a follow-up reel responding to Pascal, the Materialists actor swung back through with a melting face emoji. That second tap sent his fans into another mini frenzy. Celebrity fandom is a contact sport now, apparently.
So what is Heated Rivalry?
Per IMDb, the show follows two elite Major League Hockey stars, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose on-ice rivalry turns into something a lot more complicated once feelings get involved. They are hyper-competitive, laser-focused on their careers, and dragged toward each other by a chemistry neither quite knows how to handle. It is messy for them, delicious for us, and a headache for the expectations of their sport.
Who made it, who is in it
Created by Jacob Tierney, the cast is stacked with familiar faces and newcomers:
- Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander
- Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov
- François Arnaud as Scott Hunter
- Franco Lo Presti as Cliff Marleau
- Robbie G.K. as Christopher "Kip" Grady
- Callan Potter as Hayden Pike (Shane's teammate and best friend)
- Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Sergeevna Vetrova (Ilya's close friend)
- Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry
- Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh as Yuna and David Hollander
How it is playing with critics and where to watch
The reception has been wild in a good way: a 9.1/10 on IMDb, plus a 96% average Tomatometer and 94% average Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show is ongoing.
Now, this part is a little confusing: people keep referring to it as a Prime Video series, but it is currently streaming on HBO Max. Mixed messaging? Probably. But if you are looking to watch it right now, HBO Max is where it is living.
Why Pascal showing love tracks
Pascal has a long-running, very public history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community. He lists his pronouns on Instagram, posts for Pride Month, and generally uses his platform to show up. He talked about it at length with WIRED, and this line in particular sums him up:
My entire heart is set on, you know, the marginalized underdog. It is not a choice. Like, how dare anyone not support the people that are deserving of support, and are deserving of protection, and need more of it than you do. Do you know what I mean? My personal hope is to seize the opportunity to be of service in ways that are true. I am keeping my eyes open. The truth is that I do not think I do nearly enough.
On top of that, his sister Lux came out as transgender in 2021, and he has been openly supportive and protective of her. He has also backed his The Last of Us co-star Bella Ramsey, who came out as gender fluid. None of this makes his latest hearts-and-emojis moment surprising; it just fits with who he has been in public for years.
The bottom line
Pascal dropping by a fan's reel to stan a sweaty, high-drama gay hockey romance? That tracks. Heated Rivalry has the scores, the buzz, and apparently a very famous fan. If you want in, it is streaming on HBO Max right now.