Connor Storrie's lightning-fast rise continues: the Heated Rivalry star, who became a global phenomenon in his breakthrough role as the charming hockey player Ilya Rozanov, has landed a significant role on Paramount+ crime drama Criminal Minds: Evolution. What makes the story even better is how he got there.
From Guest Spot to Multi-Episode Arc
Storrie was originally cast in a single-episode guest role as Lance Kingston, a charming narcissist with a deep sense of entitlement who becomes involved with the show's Behavioral Analysis Unit after being accused of stalking his girlfriend. But after filming wrapped, showrunner Erica Messer and her writing team were so taken with his performance that they decided to expand his appearance into a full four-episode arc across the season. The shift came entirely from what Storrie brought to set.
A Star Before Anyone Knew It
Here's the twist: when Storrie auditioned and filmed his scenes last summer, Heated Rivalry hadn't aired yet. The Criminal Minds team had no idea he was about to become a household name. "We were very much interested in finding somebody that would stand out a bit," Messer told Vulture. "Connor won that, hands down." She noted that even if the show was on his resume, it was dismissed as "just something that hasn't aired yet." The decision to expand his role came purely from his acting ability and the chemistry he created with series regulars including Adam Rodriguez, Aisha Tyler, and R.J. Hatanaka. Word spread fast on set; crew members from wardrobe to grips were asking if there was a way to keep him around.
A Different Kind of Power Dynamic
In Heated Rivalry, Storrie's Ilya dominates the dynamic with his costar Hudson Williams. On Criminal Minds, that dynamic flips: his character Lance will find himself in confrontations where he's the one being overpowered, particularly in scenes with Rodriguez's character Luke Alvez. His first episode, titled "The Witching Hour," premieres June 11. For those wondering if this is just the beginning, Messer left the door open: "on Criminal Minds in general, you never say never" about future guest appearances.
Cover photo: TKA201, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
