The Star of ‘Heated Rivalry’ Looks Back on His Wild ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Debut

Joker: Folie à Deux was one of last year’s biggest head-scratchers. Not only did it fail to replicate the Oscar-winning acclaim or box-office success of the 2019 original, but it also made the curious choice to be a semi-musical, something even the casting of Lady Gaga couldn’t make right. However, for all the ways its script did its subversive main character dirty, it did allow Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck one favor: it killed him off, ensuring there’d be no chance of a Joker 3.

And now, we’re realizing the young actor cast as Joker’s assassin may be the other positive takeaway from Joker: Folie à Deux. Nobody would recognize him at the time, but it’s Connor Storrie, one of the breakout stars of the queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry, which is currently streaming its first season on HBO Max.

A new interview with GQ featuring Storrie and his co-star Hudson Williams surfaces this surprising piece of Hollywood trivia. Storrie thought it would be his big break when he was cast in the sequel to Joker—especially when he arrived on set and was told his “unnamed Arkham inmate” role included being the guy who murders the main character.

“By the way, at the end of the movie, you’re going to stab [Joaquin] to death, and it’s going to be revealed that you’re, like, the Joker from the comic books,” is how Storrie remembered director Todd Phillips dropping the news. It was an early lesson in keeping plot spoilers secret, and Storrie was so excited to see the movie out in the world that he actually flew himself to the Venice Film Festival to watch the premiere.

It was a bomb, of course, and it didn’t open any doors for Storrie at the time. But he’ll always have the memory of being a part of Joker: Folie à Deux, the movie that got him his SAG card.

“I was so nervous,” he told GQ. “The way we rehearsed it, I would stab him, he would kind of push me away. The first time we’re rolling on camera, [Phoenix] looks at me and kind of gives me this look. Almost like his energy is telling me I didn’t do enough or something. So, I go back in and start stabbing him again.” The director called cut. “Everyone’s like, Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on. Todd’s like, Are you okay?”

Phillips also had high praise for the young actor, telling GQ, “What stood out most for me was his nuanced physicality and his wonderful intensity. We were able to chat for a bit and I remember picking up on how he seemed super committed to the craft, which seems like a no-brainer but isn’t always evident with younger, ‘newer’ actors. I liked him right away.”

Heated Rivalry audiences clearly feel the same, and you never know—Joker: Folie à Deux, or at least some specific scenes in it, may experience a new spark of interest as a result.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.