Robbie G.K. loves being part of a 'Heated Rivalry' on HBO, but musical theater has given him the 'utmost joy'

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 3:03am

Robbie Graham-Kuntz plays Kip, the hot young barista on ''Heated Rivalry,'' the steamy gay hockey romance miniseries from Canada on HBO, and has become one of its breakout stars. Graham-Kuntz says he's primarily been doing musicals in Canada. (Could anyone here have seen him Up North?) Anyway, he tells the Shut Up Evan Substack (by Evan Ross Katz): ''I was having a great time with musical theater and honestly loved it. ... That’s still like the thing that brings me the utmost joy as far as performing. At some point, I just realized there’s a cap to Canadian theater. It’s not really like the United States where you can go to Broadway and you can really do it and a lot of people can make a great living off of it. I knew TV and film would be able to last a little bit longer. ... So I focused my sights on that and started taking classes and [asked] my agent to focus more on TV and film, and here we are!''

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhVMEimFq88

Updated On: 12/23/25 at 03:03 AM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 4:24am

The two leads feel very much like grown theater kids too, so I hope they all get stage opportunities in NY very soon!

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 8:17am

I've been watching and enjoying this show, with a LOT of suspended disbelief. There's no way that these characters, especially the actress, would have their privacy/discretion respected in public restaurants, or hotels where they nearly always seem to be. There's also a strong aura of incredibility re: when homophobia exists in this fairy-tale world, and when it doesn't.

Still (as soap-y as it is), I'm very much along for the ride with scenes like the long-distance phone call in E5, where Hollander asks Rozanov to speak to him in Russian, even though he won't understand a word.*

Does anyone else get an as yet  unacknowledged "vibe" about Hollander's dad?

* Be forewarned that you'll need to have the subtitles feature constantly enabled for when characters have extended scenes spoken in Russian only. (It's not automatically baked into the show.)

Updated On: 12/23/25 at 08:17 AM

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 11:19am

John Adams said: "I've been watching and enjoying this show, with a LOT of suspended disbelief. There's no way that these characters, especially the actress, would have their privacy/discretion respected in public restaurants, or hotels where they nearly always seem to be. There's also a strong aura of incredibility re: when homophobia exists in this fairy-tale world, and when it doesn't.

Still (as soap-y as it is), I'm very much along for the ride with scenes like the long-distance phone call in E5, where Hollander asksRozanov to speak to him in Russian, even though he won't understand a word.*

Does anyone else get an as yet unacknowledged "vibe" about Hollander's dad?

* Be forewarned that you'll need to have the subtitles feature constantly enabled for when characters have extended scenes spoken in Russian only. (It's not automatically baked into the show.)"

I agree.

The world has a lot of room for fantasy though, and things don't always play out in ways we would consider realistic, I suppose.  That's what makes it fantasy.  I mean, a hot professional hockey player having sex with that barista, and then after having a few relational ups and downs comes out to the world by kissing that barista.  Now that's fantasy.  Dude can have any masculine, hot guy he wants, and he declares for that particular barista.  Not buying it.  

It actually kind of makes me think of Heartstopper.  A romantic and charming series.  But IMO also pretty fantastical. At the beginning we meet the outsider, the outcast, the "dweeb" of sorts, and he's making out in secret with one of the hottest guys on campus.  Like that ever happened in any high school.    The outcast and the hottest dude on campus. Uh huh.  And then when he sadly realizes the guy won't be out with him, he immediately is making goo goo eyes at the hot rugby jock in science class.  And they end up in a relationship.  Yeah.  Again, sure.  

It does make for great fantasy though.  And very romantic I suppose.  Something the gay community needs more of.  Not just the noncommittal, wham bam thank you man thing set ups. 

When it comes to two men coming together from what would be perceived as more conventionally masculine professions, there is still fantasy aligned with that kind of story.  Which in 2025 you would think we be beyond that.   The fact we have a show about two athletes, and we're still oohing and aahing about the "what ifs" involved, is pretty interesting. 

We all know, and have always known there are gay athletes.  Just like there are gay military men, gay police officers, etc.  I went to high school in the late 70s early 80s.  I was an athlete.  And I was messing around after practice with one of the other athletes who was on the football team.  And we both had girlfriends.  No one had any idea either of us were gay.  

When I became an adult, I was dating military men a lot of the time.  And no one in their circles knew they were gay.  And I rememberer a Marine aviator I went out with who said the same about me. If he had seen me across the room at some social gathering he would have never known.  

But therein comes the stereotype.

Funny how we're still cast into this world like the concept must be fantasy because it's two jocks involved, or two LEOs, or two military guys, or whatever.  

I remember years ago, before the age of social media and the internet, there was an article in a magazine about some gay man who had claimed to be dating a well known MLB player.  This was like back in the 80s or 90s.  I was thinking the same thing.  How could a MLB player be out on the town with another guy, without women in their presence, and not stir up some curiosity after a while.  It led me to wonder if the guy's story was really true.   Because yes, we know gay athletes are out there as I mentioned before.  But for an athlete who has transitioned into the public arena where people know him now?

Because even now it's difficult for professional athletes to come out.   I know it's more common in certain sports than it is in others, but the NFL, MLB, NHL....I don't think there are many who have. And I agree that it doesn't even seem realistic that they could go about a relationship with another man without just coming out with it.

But then again, though it's a different profession, I had the same curiosity when that 40ish trans model was bragging about being in a relationship with some hot young MAGA NYPD officer who was 20 years junior to this trans model.  How do you, as a hot young NYPD officer, have a relationship with someone who is not only a lot older than you, but is a "well known" trans person and no one notices.  And that story is purportedly true.   So can it happen? I guess.  Strange though because while he can remain more anonymous, the trans person can't.  So people aren't going to make the connections about him too? And this trans person is now concealing his identity now that they've broken up?

Times have changed though I know and gradually more and more people are finding it easier to come out.  Even within some professions that prior to current times it wasn't as easy.

I have found that when it comes to law enforcement, professional or college sports, and the military, men still keep it pretty much under wraps.  It's there, but just not as widespread.  And when anonymity is involved, it certainly makes it easier.  

When I was dating a Marine, the general public didn't know who he was.  He looked the part, but no one paid much attention.  Same went for my fellow college athletes.  No one in the general public knew who we were, but in our collegiate circles, yeah, we felt a little more aware of our surrounding and how we were perceived. 

But again funny how in 2025 we're still amazed by the concept of two professional athletes having a relationship that goes beyond friendship.  

Updated On: 12/23/25 at 11:19 AM

[inception]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 11:32am

Hockey players kind of are still under the radar as far as being celebrities.   I saw something yesterday about gossip that that pop star Tate McRae might be dating Jack Hughes, with a photo from Deuxmoi where it said " Tate McRae on a date with some guy with a broken wrist."   He's the alt Captain for New Jersey yet can still go out in NYC without anyone knowing who he is.  Only drew attention because of McRae.

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 12:03pm

Would anyone object if I copy/paste these posts into a new thread (same title) on the OT Board? I like the topic, and I feel pretty sure I'll want to comment on future episodes, but there be trolls in these woods...

I'll wait 'til tomorrow morning and if I don't read any objection, I'll copy/paste to the other Board.

PS: To be fair, I'll leave Waymon_Wong's original post in place on this Board, and only copy/paste the discussion of the show itself to the OT Board.

Updated On: 12/23/25 at 12:03 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 12:40pm

I’ve watched every episode three times, already. It’s gonna suck having to wait until 2027 for new episodes but at least we’re getting at least two more seasons!

 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 1:45pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I’ve watched every episode three times, already. It’s gonna suck having to wait until 2027 for new episodes but at least we’re getting at least two more seasons!"

Same.  I did not at all expect to like the show let alone love it.

[Idiot]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 7:13pm

I was immediately schmitten with Robbie GK, who was not on my radar, and found the musical theatre background in his bio to be a delightful twist.  He's listed as a tenor and bari-tenor.  I can't find any video or audio of him signing though.  If anyone stumbles across a sample of his singing please link it here? 

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 7:13pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I’ve watched every episode three times, already. It’s gonna suck having to wait until 2027 for new episodes but at least we’re getting at least two more seasons!"

...two more seasons? I'll could be happy with that, but I'm only reading news about S2 so far. 

I saw the article in Forbes about the S2 release date, but it would be a shame if the show lost momentum with such a looooong turnover period between S1 & S2. That's what absolutely killed my interest for the subsequent seasons of Upload and Reacher on Amazon. By the time the shows air, my enthusiasm has waned.

Maybe I'll just read the books instead.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/23/25 at 9:03pm

John Adams said: "Jordan Catalano said: "I’ve watched every episode three times, already. It’s gonna suck having to wait until 2027 for new episodes but at least we’re getting at least two more seasons!"

...twomore seasons? I'll could be happy with that, but I'm only reading news about S2 so far.


Maybe I'll just read the books instead."

The cast is contracted for 3 seasons if they get greenlit. There's only 2 books that actually follow this couple tho. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 6:43am

TheatreFan4 said: "There's only 2 books that actually follow this couple tho."

I don't know if your referring to "Skip" or Hollander/Rozanov when you write "this couple", but I've read that S2 will give additional focus to  another peripheral character (Matthew Finlan as Kyle Swift - the bartender at Kip's favorite gay bar, The Kingfisher).

Kyle apparently will have some form of a "meet & greet" with another member of Scott's hockey team named, Eric Bennett (tbh, I need to go back and re-watch specifically looking for both the Kyle and Eric characters). The Kyle/Eric storyline comes from the 4th book in the series, "Common Goal".

I don't object at all to the fantasy, but for me, when the storyline involves a need for the characters' relationship to be kept under wraps, I'm more open to a "Brokeback Mountain" or "Love, Simon" kind of narrative (although I could do without Brokeback's tragic ending).

The abundance of implausibility in "Heated Rivalry" is certainly not objectionable, but it draws me out of the fantasy as being one in which I could place myself.

If production takes a year and a half for only 6 episodes (that really is a very small amount of content - especially knowing that the source material is already written), my interest will definitely wane. 

"The blossom falls on the mountain, The mountain falls on the blossom, All things fall." Exactly how Gay is it for me to quote Sondheim to illustrate my point?

Updated On: 12/24/25 at 06:43 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 7:10am

Oh... PS and FTR, I neglected to acknowledge theaterguy12's post. I find myself drawn in, and appreciative of your IRL experience as a form of narrative because (for me) it's completely believable that Gays exist in the military, sports and "more conventionally masculine professions".

Also, I too really enjoyed, "Heartstopper". 

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/24/25 at 9:04pm

If you want to catch a blurry glimpse of Eric Bennett (the goalie for Scott Hunter's team, who will be canoodling with bartender Kyle in S2), you can find him dead center screen in E5, @ ~the 51:00 minute mark. He's the older, bearded daddy bear wearing the white goalie pads. 

(The actor playing the role may/may not change between now and then, but that's the fictional character, as described.)

Updated On: 12/25/25 at 09:04 PM

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 12/27/25 at 5:32pm

from the Vulture write-up of the season finale:

"The price of gay representation is the insufferable discourse that seems to accompany it every time a new queer movie or show drops. An endless litigation emerges. Is it good representation? Is it accurate? Are the storytellers themselves queer? Because with so few queer stories being told, each new entry bears the burden of having to be everything to everyone. Viewers watch with a hypercritical eye, judging its authenticity against their own personal experience, as if they’re the only gay person ever to exist (somewhat understandably, because at one point it felt like they were). But that’s why the more stories there are like Heated Rivalry, for all its peaks and valleys, the better. Less pressure is put on each new entry, and more and more people feel seen."

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 12/27/25 at 7:09pm

So I was grumpy as **** when the first debuted but I totally got suckered in. Connor truly is Baby Girl and I love him. Hudson is an absolute chaos troll. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 12/31/25 at 3:41pm

A week ago, I joked that if ''Heated Rivalry,'' the hot and racey gay hockey romance on HBO, were turned into a Broadway musical, it could feature tunes like ''Kiss Me, Skate,'' ''I Only Have Ice for You'' and ''Puck, Be a Lady Tonight.''

But Variety just published a new interview with Rachel Reid, the author of ''Heated Rivalry,'' and Marc Malkin asks her if there will ever be a Broadway musical of this runaway TV hit. And Reid replies: ''I hope so, because I still hold the stage rights to it.''

I love ''Heated Rivalry,'' so I can't wait to see it onstage, but it seems the more logical spinoff would be: ''Heated Rivalry on Ice!''

https://variety.com/2025/tv/columns/heated-rivalry-author-rachel-reid-sex-scenes-season-2-1236619999/

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/1/26 at 5:11pm

Robbie G.K., who plays Kip, the show's boyish barista, was asked by Forbes.com if he'd be up to do a musical episode in Season 2. And the actor, who has a background in doing musical theater in Canada, said: “100%. ... Our 'Heated Rivalry' Instagram, I guess our TikTok team - they released a video when they were at the club in Episode 4 saying who’s the best dancer in the cast. I have a bone to pick with Connor [Storrie] and Hudson [Williams]. Anybody who answered anything but me, I will be happy to livestream a dance-off, if that’s a thing. Who can do a roundoff back tuck? I got it in the bag.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffconway/2025/12/25/heated-rivalry-actor-robbie-gk-on-his-career-and-the-shows-future/