Hudson Williams has been receiving significant private messages.

In fact, the Heated Rivalry actor, who portrays closeted gay hockey star Shane Hollander alongside Connor Storie (Ilya Rozanov) on the Crave/HBO Max series, disclosed that he has received numerous DMs from closeted LGBTQ+ athletes expressing their appreciation for the show.

“The individuals who reach out, somewhat anonymously, say things like, ‘I’m a professional player still, and I’m still in the closet,’” Hudson mentioned in a Jan. 7 clip from his appearance on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show Radio Andy. “They’re [also] reaching out to Rachel [Reid], our author, who will then relay these wonderful anonymous emails.” 

The 24-year-old shared about the hockey, football, and basketball players he has heard from, “Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those messages really resonate and make you think, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show, and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerve.’”

However, gratitude isn’t the only feeling Hudson has experienced in the six weeks since the show debuted for U.S. audiences on HBO Max. He is fully aware that his viral popularity is “crazy.”