Prime Minister Mark Carney swapped the Davos stage for a more playful red carpet appearance Thursday night at an event promoting the Canadian film industry, where he and breakout Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams cozied up for a photo.
Williams gifted the former Bank of England and Bank of Canada governor a fleece worn by his character in the Canadian-made show, which has received international attention for its portrayal of a red-hot love affair between two closeted queer hockey players drafted to the sport’s highest ranks.
During the photocall, Carney told Williams to “do the leg thing.” Williams obliged as the men showed the cameras their biggest grins.
Prime Minister Mark Carney poses for a photo on the red carpet with Hudson Williams, star of the TV series ‘Heated Rivalry,’ at the Prime Time screen and media industry conference gala in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Later, addressing a crowd of industry professionals gathered at the “Prime Time” conference in the nation’s capital, Carney said Williams was his “new best friend” and commented that studios “south of the border” wanted to tone down the show.
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“What is the point of that?” the prime minister joked, receiving a laugh from the audience.
The drama, which was made in Canada, could only be Canadian, the prime minister said, praising a country he said “celebrates what makes us different.”
“This is true soft power,” Carney said, in reference to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent Davos speech on the importance of wielding tools such as music, food, sports and other cultural commodities to strengthen a country’s global reputation and relationships with other nations.
He also noted the show’s significance at a time when the 2SLGBTQI+ community faces increasing threats to their lives and well-being.
“They’re also two young men who are terrified of being their fullest selves. And we live in an increasingly dangerous, divided and intolerant world and the hard-fought rights of the 2SLGBTQI+ community are under threat,” he said.
“Congratulations on creating a story that has struck a chord with so many across this country, around the world. Because of you, cottage season will have a whole new meaning this summer,” he continued.
The prime minister jokingly took credit for green-lighting the show despite not being in power when government funding was approved.
“I’m a politician, I’m not above taking credit for the Canadian funding that helped you share this story with the world,” Carney said. “I green-lit this thing. I stood up to the Americans.”
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