All About “Heated Rivalry” Star Hudson Williams' Parents
- - All About “Heated Rivalry” Star Hudson Williams' Parents
Jordana ComiterFebruary 14, 2026 at 3:00 AM
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Sunny Williams and Hudson Williams attend Gold House's Lunar New Year Gold Celebration at Chinese Tuxedo on Feb. 12, 2026, in New York City.
Noam Galai/Getty
Hudson Williams' parents raised him in British Columbia
The Heated Rivalry star's parents supported his career from a young age, enrolling him at a performing arts elementary school
He has spoken about how his dad helped him relate to his Heated Rivalry character, Shane Hollander
Heated Rivalry fans fell in love with Shane Hollander's relationship with his parents, and off-screen, Hudson Williams is just as supported by his real-life mom and dad.
The Canadian actor's parents, whose names he has kept private, raised him in British Columbia. At a November 2025 panel for the show, he spoke about how landing the role of Shane in the LGBTQ+ romance-hockey drama helped his mom realize that representation in media has evolved.
"When I told her I was going to be an actor, she said it scared her because she thought her being an Asian lady, that it would, kind of, limit my possibilities for roles I could get, [because] she hadn't seen people like her on the screen," he said.
Williams added, "When I booked a role due to the fact that there was a prerequisite that I’m half Asian, I think it just kind of made her see that things are changing and that there are new possibilities. So that really felt amazing."
Here's everything to know about Hudson Williams' parents.
They raised him in British Columbia
Hudson Williams attends the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 11, 2026, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Amy Sussman/Getty
Williams was raised in Kamloops, British Columbia, by his parents, a Korean mother and a father with Dutch and British roots, per GQ. Hudson described his hometown to the outlet as a mix of "rednecks and bougie people who are always going to Vancouver to do some shopping."
He was involved in several sports, including MMA, skiing, wakeboarding, football and volleyball, and enrolled in a magnet theater school at 7 years old, per the outlet.
Williams spoke to Wonderland Magazine in January 2026 about enrolling in the performing arts elementary school, saying that his mom gave him the choice to go to a science school or art school.
"I picked art so I could act, draw, and dance," Williams said. "I didn’t really want to sing. I’m okay at singing, but I’m not very good. But I love dancing and performing. I loved painting and drawing."
He went on to graduate from the Film Arts program at Langara College, per GQ.
His dad is a mechanical engineer and his mom is an interior designer
Hudson Williams arrives at the Giorgio Armani fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week - Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 on Jan. 19, 2026, in Milan.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Williams' dad is a mechanical engineer who "graduated top of his class," as the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2025.
Meanwhile, his mother is an interior designer, according to GQ. She also coordinates transportation on film sets, including FX's Shogun, per the outlet.
His relationship with his dad helped him relate to his Heated Rivalry character
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in 'Heated Rivalry'
During his conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams got candid about how his dad helped him relate to his Heated Rivalry character, hockey player Shane Hollander, whom the book's author Rachel Reid has said is autistic.
"My dad is on the spectrum, he knows it," Williams said, adding that his father is a "very technical genius in a lot of ways," but socially, "would say that he doesn’t want to deal with emotions."
The actor recalled his dad telling him that he relates more to Star Trek's hyper-cerebral alien creatures Vulcan than he does humans.
"I love my dad to death, and I’ve always felt very connected to him. He has a sensitivity to him that is very boyish," Williams continued. "I think when I read the script, I took a huge page out of living my life with him."
He went on to say that because Reid has confirmed Shane's autism, he "knew how it should look" and immediately "empathized with him."
His dad “kept him in the gym” from a young age
Hudson Williams at the Gold House Lunar New Year event during RTW Fall 2026 on Feb. 12, 2026, in New York.
Nina Westervelt/WWD via Getty
In January 2026, Williams spoke to Men's Health about his workout routine, and shared that his father was a big influence on his fitness growing up.
"My dad always kept me in the gym since I was like 6," he said. "There's like videos of him trying to put weights in my hand. [...] Yeah, I've been in the gym for a long time."
His mom has attended events with him
Hudson Williams and his mother attend Hennessy Gold House Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb. 12, 2026, in New York City.
Jason Mendez/Getty
As Williams has begun attending Hollywood events, his mom has joined him for several special occasions.
She joined him on Feb. 10 for a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York. Two days later on the night before his 25th birthday, Williams' mom posed with him on the red carpet at Gold House's Lunar New Year Gold Celebration in New York City.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
