Hudson Williams

Hudson Williams (born February 13, 2001) is a Canadian actor. He rose to prominence for his breakout role as Shane Hollander in the Crave original television series, Heated Rivalry (2025–present), for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Leading Performance in a Drama Series. He will appear in the upcoming Crave series, Yaga, the Netflix limited series, The Altruists, and the films Apparatus and Tyrant. His mother, an interior designer, is Korean, and his father, a mechanical engineer, is of British and Dutch descent.

Williams began his schooling at a French immersion kindergarten before transferring, at his mother's suggestion, to Beattie School of the Arts, where he studied dance, music, and theatre. He renewed his focus on acting in grade 11, and has said that taking acting classes in Vancouver persuaded him that acting could become a viable profession. After graduating, he began writing and directing short films and attending acting auditions while working as a restaurant server at The Old Spaghetti Factory in New Westminster. His first short film as writer and director was Snow Angel.

His early screen credits include the episode "IRL" of the CBC drama Allegiance, the television films, Nobody Dumps My Daughter and All I Need for Christmas, and the episode "The Disciple" of the CBS series Tracker.

Heated Rivalry and breakthrough (2025–present) In 2025, Williams was cast as Shane Hollander in the sports romance television series, Heated Rivalry, created and directed by Jacob Tierney and based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid. His audition process included a self-tape, a callback with Tierney, and three chemistry reads, with his chemistry with co-lead Connor Storrie being an important factor in Tierney's casting decision. Williams has said that his mother had previously voiced concern that he would have trouble getting acting roles as an Asian Canadian; however, his heritage proved to be crucial to his casting as Shane Hollander. Williams received praise for the subtlety of his acting and his ability to convey Hollander's inner thoughts, as well as his nuanced and non-stereotypical portrayal of an autistic character. Reid commented that Williams fully embodied the role, praising the expressiveness of his face. /Film singled out Williams and Storrie for their microexpression work, and the chemistry between the two leads has received extensive praise, with Kaiya Shunyata for RogerEbert.com writing that "Williams and Storrie share a chemistry so intense it rivals Bogart & Bacall." The series was renewed for a second season in December 2025 with the second season expected to release in April 2027. That same month, he and Storrie starred in Ember & Ice, a three-episode romance fantasy audio series where Williams voiced the character Prince Finn Lunare. The episodes were released on the mobile audio platform Quinn between December 30, 2025 to January 5, 2026.

On February 28, 2026, Williams had a cameo appearance in the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Storrie. He has also starred in music videos: as Count Orlok in Love Lucille's "Lights On" and then as the featured heartthrob character in Laufey's Madwoman video, alongside other prominent mixed Asian stars Alysa Liu, Lola Tung, and Megan Skiendiel.

Upcoming projects In February 2026, Williams was cast as Henry Park in Yaga, a Crave mystery thriller series based on the play by Kat Sandler, starring alongside Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, and Clark Backo. In April 2026, AMC+ acquired the exclusive United States streaming rights to the series and is set to premiere in late 2026.

In March 2026, Netflix announced that Williams would appear in a recurring role as Duncan Rheingans-Yoo in The Altruists, a limited series about the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, starring Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle. That same month, he was cast in a leading role opposite Dylan O'Brien in the feature film, Apparatus, directed by Sofia Banzhaf, and in April 2026 he joined an ensemble cast including Charlize Theron, Julia Garner, and Demi Moore in the culinary thriller film, Tyrant, directed by David Weil.

Alongside acting, Williams continues to write and direct. In a January 2026 interview, Williams shared his aspiration to make his feature film directorial debut based on his own script in the next five years. He has spoken of his longtime love of queer cinema, naming Moonlight and Brokeback Mountain among his favourite films, and has cited Rooney Mara in Carol and Trevante Rhodes in Moonlight as inspirations for his portrayal of Shane Hollander.

Public image and brand partnerships Following the release of Heated Rivalry, Williams experienced a rapid rise to fame. At the Golden Globe Awards in January 2026, where he was also a presenter with Storrie, he announced a donation to BC Children's Hospital. That same week, he also attended the Giorgio Armani fashion show. Williams' presence at Milan Fashion Week received widespread media coverage, with him being deemed the highlight.

On January 25, 2026, he and Storrie participated in the 2026 Winter Olympics torch relay in Feltre, Italy. That same month, Williams met Canadian prime minister Mark Carney at an event promoting the Canadian film and television industry in Ottawa. He attended the 98th Academy Awards and the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in March 2026, where his appearances generated a combined media impact value of $6.16 million for designer brands Balenciaga and Bulgari.

Williams was named a "Friend of the House" for fashion brand, Balenciaga, in February 2026, appearing in the brand's "Heart and Body" campaign and often attending the brand's fashion shows and events. In April 2026, he became the first non-athlete to star in a campaign for Peloton Interactive. Williams' Peloton campaign video drew massive engagement, amassing over 5 million views on YouTube within the first six days of its release. Williams attended his first Met Gala in May 2026 as a guest at the Instagram table in a custom matador-inspired look designed by Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and eye makeup inspired by one of his favorite films Black Swan. That same month, Williams was also named a "Friend of the House" for jewelry brand, Bulgari, and appeared in the brand's "Gold & Steel" campaign.

In May, Williams was included Gold House's 2026 Gold100 list which celebrates the 100 leaders most responsible for shaping global culture over the past year. Williams was honored under "New Gold", recognizing the next generation of cultural trailblazers. Later that month, Williams was included in Variety's "8 APIs Up Next in Entertainment" list, which celebrates Asian Pacific Islanders across entertainment and highlights rising global talent.

In August 2026, Williams was announced as a brand ambassador for Korean skincare brand, SKIN1004. Williams had previously featured the brand's products in a YouTube video detailing his skincare routine for The Cut that went viral. In an announcement posted on their social media, SKIN1004 confirmed that Williams was the first-ever global ambassador for the brand.

Williams' influence on brands (even without official partnerships) has drawn widespread attention such as the viral demand surge for a $2 Canadian Tire tote bag after Williams was photographed carrying his groceries in one in August 2026 in Toronto. Similarly, his book recommendations have resulted in increased demand for the titles across retailers and libraries.

Williams has spoken publicly about the challenges of navigating his sudden rise to global fame, including privacy intrusions from paparazzi and unsolicited photography.

Personal life In a February 2026 Instagram story, Williams shared that he is in a long-term relationship with Vancouver-based tattoo artist, Katelyn Larson. The couple made their first public appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in March 2026.

"Lights On" Love Lucille Count Orlok

Best Lead Performer, Drama

Best Drama Actor

Breakthrough Performer of the Year Ensemble of the Year

Best First-Time Director

Best Okanagan Film Best Performance

Individual Achievement in Drama Heated Rivalry