‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Christina Chang Reveals How That Iconic Coming Out Scene Came to Be

It’s no secret “Heated Rivalry” has given its stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie a meteoric launch into Hollywood, but their more established Crave co-stars are also feeling the heat. Just ask Christina Chang, who plays Shane Hollander’s mom Yuna.

“You never know whether something’s going to be a hit or not. You just kind of have to do it with the most love and the best work ethic you’ve got, work well and play well with others, that makes a wonderful experience, which I can say wholeheartedly and authentically about this. So hit or not, I knew that it was a hit in my heart,” she told TheWrap. “It is kind of this pop culture moment. I’ve worked on things that have been gorgeous, really meaningful, really well-written, loved all the people — and it went nowhere. And not because it wasn’t good, and some things are not that good that make it to air. I can’t ever explain it. That’s the risk, the gamble of this game. But this one feels different than all the others.”

The actress has had starring roles on popular series such as “24,” “CSI: Miami,” “Nashville,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Desperate Housewives” and “The Good Doctor,” to name a few, but she credited a lot of her gay hockey show’s success to series creator Jacob Tierney and original “Game Changers” author Rachel Reid (especially since the show didn’t even get a U.S. platform in HBO Max until last minute).

“It’s a great confluence of art. It starts with the books, Rachel’s books. The show is true to them, but also has some differences. That’s how smartly Jacob adapted this, how great his mind is, how well he works with others,” Chang shared. “He’s so collaborative, but also really decisive. He moves quickly. He knows exactly what he wants, but he’s always open to suggestions. Creative, funny, witty. So it starts from the top and then trickles down.”

A great example of Tierney’s methods can be seen in the season finale scene between Chang and Williams, in which Shane confides in his mother about having to keep his sexuality a secret after his father (Dylan Walsh) sees him with Ilya at the cottage.

“When your framework is already there and so solidly there, that just makes my job so much easier,” Chang said. “Initially, the scene was written differently, and then on the day, Jacob decided to write it differently. That’s what I mean when I say Jacob is so bright, but also really intuitive. So he whittled the scene down. It’s better, because it’s the way we would say these things to one another. What you all got to see eventually was the rewrite on the day.”

“I’m also a mom in real life, which helps,” she continued. “I can think of times when I have felt as a parent — many, many times — like, Have I ruined her? What am I not aware of? What do I not know? When do I step in? When am I supposed to ask a question? I’m not necessarily thinking about that in the moment, but that’s all there. That’s lived experience.”

Chang also revealed another fan-favorite scene that sticks out in her mind from Season 1.

“The elevator scene. I love it, because that’s not in the book, so that’s another Jacob brilliance that also showcases his humor,” she explained. “People are like, ‘Do you think as soon as she found out, she thought about that?’ And I’m like, not as soon as, but she’s definitely, Well, hold up.“

Plus, there will be plenty more to come as Crave has already greenlit “Heated Rivalry” for Season 2, with contracts reportedly in place for a third season as well.

“Selfishly, I think this opens up my getting to work more with the boys,” Chang said of what’s to come. “I love them both so much, but also more with Connor and then potentially others in the cast. It’s opening the world up, because now that they can share things, she gets to be in there, too. I’m looking forward to, basically, our reunion.”

Ultimately, the actress is just proud to be part of something that has clearly resonated with so many viewers across the globe.

“I feel so honored. I’m taken aback by all the messages that I get, whether it’s through friends of friends, people that I’ve never met, that I’ll never meet, and I’m taking my time reading through them. I’m just so grateful that I get to be in this position, that I got to be Yuna and hear so many beautiful things,” Chang shared with a smile. “A lot of them, the message is the same, which is, ‘Oh, this healed me, this was healing’ or ‘I’m on my way to that, I wish I’d gotten that.’ I just think, Oh, if I could mom the world. That’s how I feel. Honestly, it feels emotional.”

“Heated Rivalry” Season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max and Crave.

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