A few months ago Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were both working as waiters. Now they are the stars of Heated Rivalry, one of the most talked about shows in the world.
Adapted from a novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid, who writes "sexually explicit queer romance novels about hockey players", Heated Rivalry chronicles a forbidden love affair between two rival ice hockey players.
The show was not an obvious a runaway hit. It was created and produced in Canada on a minimal budget - reportedly less than C$5m ($3.6m; £2.6m) per episode. Its six episodes were filmed in Ontario in just over a month, with a cast lead mostly by unknowns.
But since its debut in North America last November, Storrie, who plays Russian player Ilya Rozanov, and Williams, who plays Canadian Shane Hollander, have wracked up millions of fans, acted as torchbearers ahead of the Milan winter Olympics and appeared on a host of late night TV shows.
Storrie is set to host Saturday Night Live at the end of this month, while Williams - who reportedly still lives with his mum in Vancouver - recently shared a stage with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at an Ottawa film industry event.
