Jack Innanen Addresses Reports He Was Cast in “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 but Turned Down Role (Exclusive)
Jack Innanen Addresses Reports He Was Cast in “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 but Turned Down Role (Exclusive)
Julia Moore, Luke ChinmanFri, June 12, 2026 at 5:44 PM UTC
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Jack Innanen (left); Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in 'Heated Rivalry'Credit: Dia Dipasupil/WireImage; Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max -
Reports are swirling that Jack Innanen was offered a role in Heated Rivalry season 2, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts
The Adults star tells PEOPLE whether the reports are accurate as he calls the show's creator, Jacob Tierney, "incredible"
Innanen returns as Paul Baker in Adults season 2, and his costar Owen Thiele tells PEOPLE there's lots of "drama" to come
Jack Innanen is clearing the air on all things Heated Rivalry.
Innanen, 27, was reportedly offered a role in season 2 of the hit series led by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. At the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Adults season 2 on Thursday, June 11, the Canadian actor confirmed to PEOPLE that he will not be part of Heated Rivalry season 2.
"It was too bad it didn't go that way," Innanen says, and he calls the show's creator, Jacob Tierney, "incredible" nonetheless. "I'm excited to see what they do with season 2."
When asked about the possibility of making it work for a potential third season of the series, an adaptation of Rachel Reid's bestselling novel, Innanen says, "Maybe season 3, yeah. [We'll] see what they do."
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in 'Heated Rivalry'.Credit: Courtesy Bell Media
Innanen is more focused right now on season 2 of Adults, which premieres Aug. 27. Life has been "crazy" for the comedian since season 1 premiered last May. He was used to being recognized from TikTok, but "seeing people react to the show has been crazy," he says.
"It's wild to be recognized as a character for the first time — like, people recognizing me as Paul Baker and connecting to a character I play," he says. "I'm grateful for it all. It has been a whirlwind."
Season 2 of Adults picks up after Issa (Amita Rao) got cold feet before her wedding to Paul (Innanen), who needed to get married to get a visa. Instead, Paul ended up marrying Anton (Owen Thiele).
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At the Tribeca premiere, Thiele, 29, teased that there's "a lot of Paul Baker and Anton drama" to come in season 2, "which is really fun."
"We're giving you what you want," he tells PEOPLE. "[Creators] Ben [Kronengold] and Rebecca [Shaw] are so brilliant, and it doesn't feel at all like we are doing fan service. It feels still true to the story, but it also is... It's good. It's good."
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Jack Innanen attends FX's 'Adults' World Premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 11, 2026Credit: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup via Getty
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is slated to premiere next spring. Star Robbie G.K., whose on-screen romance with François Arnaud, as Kip and Scott — the central couple in Reid's Game Changer — previously told PEOPLE what he's hoping to see in the next installment.
"We catch Scott and Kip on the very top of the roller coaster of our storyline [in season 1], and I think that there's a whole lot that could be explored after the fact," G.K., 29, said in March. "So I'd like to see some of that."
Heated Rivalry is now streaming on HBO Max and season 2 of Adults premieres Thursday, Aug. 27 on Hulu.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
