Connor Storrie may be the breakout star of a gritty hockey romance today, but his path to the ice began with a 12-year-old boy in West Texas who refused to trade his costumes for a football helmet. Discover how the Heated Rivalry actor reacted when his years-old video went viral.

The journey of this talented actor demonstrates that staying true to your authentic passions eventually pays off in the spotlight.

Long before Connor Storrie was Ilya Rozanov, Storrie was known as Actorboy222 to a small pocket of the internet. Fans recently unearthed YouTube videos of the star at age twelve, capturing a version of himself he has finally learned to embrace. Although he once felt disconnected from that younger persona, he now views that version of himself with deep affection and gratitude.

Growing up in Odessa, Texas, required a certain level of resilience for a child who preferred theater to the local obsession with sports. He felt like an outsider because he chose creative expression over the traditional expectations of his community.

“I was this artist, sissy boy in West Texas that did not want to play football,” reflecting on his childhood environment, Storrie explained to Variety.

Storrie acknowledges that his younger self-possessed a clarity of purpose that paved the way for his current success in Hollywood. Regarding his perspective on those early videos.

"I love that little guy. I love him. I used to not like him”, Storrie said, as mentioned in Variety.

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From the dusty fields of Texas to the high-stakes world of professional acting, his trajectory remains a testament to persistent ambition.

The professional journey of Connor Storrie began in 2018 through a series of short films and a notable appearance in the 2023 movie Riley. His career reached a significant turning point when he was cast as a pivotal inmate in the 2024 film Joker: Folie à Deux.

In 2025, Storrie transitioned to television as the lead in the sports romance series Heated Rivalry. To portray Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov, he underwent rigorous linguistic training to master a specific accent and studied the Russian language. He also collaborated closely with an intimacy coordinator to ensure the emotional core of the series remained authentic and professional during filming.

Outside of his work in front of the camera, Storrie maintains a deep interest in the technical side of the industry. He has written and directed several short films and recently completed his first feature-length directorial project titled Transaction Planet. This multifaceted approach to storytelling has allowed him to build a unique and formidable reputation in Hollywood within a very short timeframe.

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