For Gus Kenworthy, Heated Rivalry hit very close to home — especially one faux couple’s dynamic. In the romance series, hockey pro Shane Hollander begins a public relationship with movie star Rose Landry in an effort to hide his homosexuality. Kenworthy revealed he had a very similar relationship with Miley Cyrus before he came out as gay in 2015.
Before publicly coming out, Kenworthy and Cyrus were linked through dating rumors. “Miley Cyrus was my own Rose, this famous person that I was suddenly linked to,” Kenworthy said in a Jan. 25 New Yorker interview. “As much as I kind of wanted it — because that’s the person you would want to be with if you’re straight, someone successful and beautiful and talented — it’s not the same as when you’re with a guy.”
While Kenworthy related to that aspect of Shane’s like, the character he most saw himself in was Scott Hunter. “I really related to him. He wanted to be out, but really, just truly felt like he couldn’t be, because of his circumstances,” Kenworthy said. “That was me for so many years. I had the same yearning — to be in love, to be public, and to not have to hide.”
After finishing the show, Kenworthy reached out to its creator Jacob Tierney. “I actually wrote a message to the show’s creator because I was so moved, and didn’t expect to be,” Kenworthy said. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself reflected onscreen like that, in such a substantial way. The parallels are kind of insane. I also had a secret relationship, with these clandestine meetings and hookups.”
Kenworthy has become an actor in recent years, so he’s not ruling out the possibility of a role in Season 2 of Heated Rivalry. “You know, I played hockey through high school,” Kenworthy said. “I can skate, and I know how to handle a stick.”
