Williams said he “wanted to reference cinema” for his first time at fashion’s biggest night out.

Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams goes full Black Swan for bold Met Gala look

Williams said he "wanted to reference cinema" for his first time at fashion's biggest night out.

By Tiffany Kelly

Tiffany Kelly

Tiffany Kelly is a staff editor at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Wired, GQ, and Ars Technica.

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May 4, 2026 9:14 p.m. ET

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Hudson Williams at the Met Gala; Natalie Portman in 'Black Swan'. Credit:

Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Fox Searchlight/Everett

- *Heated Rivalry* star Hudson Williams said his bold Met Gala look was inspired by the 2010 film *Black Swan*, starring Natalie Portman.

- Williams paired the multicolored makeup look with a blue-and-black open-front Balenciaga jacket and pants.

- His costar on the popular Crave hockey series, Connor Storrie, also attended the Met Gala, wearing a polka-dot look by Saint Laurent.

*Heated Rivalry* star Hudson Williams arrived for his first Met Gala wearing an eye-catching look inspired by one of his favorite films.

The 25-year-old actor told *Vogue* host La La Anthony on Monday that he channeled Natalie Portman's ballerina in the 2010 movie *Black Swan* for his hair and makeup look, with dramatic winged eyeliner and multicolored eyeshadow that stretched to his eyebrows.

"Me and my groomer, Aika [Flores], love that movie," he said. "We wanted to reference cinema, and we kind of wanted to do the White Swan becoming the Black Swan a little bit."

He paired the bold eye makeup with a blue-and-black open-front Balenciaga jacket and matching pants with a long black train. The theme for this year's fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City was "Costume Art," and the dress code was "Fashion Is Art."

Williams and *Heated Rivalry* costar Connor Storrie rose to stardom after playing Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov on the Crave series about rival professional hockey players who develop a secret romance off the ice. Season 1 of the Canadian drama, based on Rachel Reid’s *Game Changers* book series, premiered in November and was distributed simultaneously in the U.S. on HBO Max.

Hudson Williams at the 2026 Met Gala.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Storrie, 26, also attended the Met Gala in a sleeveless polka-dot blouse with a flowy train and a dark suit by Saint Laurent.

Williams and Storrie are having a busy year following the success of *Heated Rivalry*. The two have appeared together at numerous high-profile events, including as presenters at the Golden Globes, as official torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and in matching sheer looks at the *Vanity Fair* Oscar Party. Storrie hosted *Saturday Night Live* in February as well, with Williams joining him for a cameo.

Prior to the Met Gala, Storrie told *GQ* that he looked forward to seeing Williams at the event since he hadn't "seen him in a long time."

'Heated Rivalry' creator gives major update on season 2

Met Gala 2026 theme and dress code explained: What does 'Fashion Is Art' mean?

Season 2 of the queer hockey series is set to begin filming this summer, with a release slated for spring 2027. Creator Jacob Tierney has said the new season will adapt *The Long Game, *the sixth book in Reid’s series,* *which focuses on Shane and Ilya’s relationship three years after the events of *Heated Rivalry*.

Tierney also confirmed that season 2 will incorporate plot elements from the series' fifth book, *Role Model,* and introduce the characters of Troy Barrett (a forward for the Ottawa team) and Harris Drover (a social media manager for the team).

Connor Storrie at the 2026 Met Gala.

Mike Coppola/Getty

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Beyond *Heated Rivalry*, the actors are busy with their next projects. Williams will star in the indie thriller *Apparatus* with Dylan O'Brien, while Storrie will star in Molly Gordon's new comedy, *Peaked*. Williams will also star in another upcoming Crave series, *Yaga*, based on the play by Kat Sandler, which will premiere in the U.S. on AMC+.

Watch Williams talk about the inspiration behind his Met Gala look in the video above.

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Source: “AOL Met”