Connor Storrie's Heated Rivalry Replacement Role Is Nothing Like Ilya Rozanov

3 days ago 9

Heated Rivalry still of Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov sitting on a leather couch with his phone.

Published Jun 12, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT

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In the months since Heated Rivalry's wave of success, many have been curious about what the stars' next roles will be, and Connor Storrie's next big turn on the small screen is nothing like the role of Ilya Rozanov. Throughout the last stretch of months, there's been a buzz surrounding what Storrie will do next, especially after the announcement that Heated Rivalry season 2 would take more time to get started than fans originally anticipated. Thankfully, Storrie had already filmed his next role when the HBO hit was released, and made an impact with a twist on Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Now, with Storrie in between seasons of Heated Rivalry, eyes have been on what's next in his career. His time on Criminal Minds season 19 was filmed prior to his biggest success, but his role on the ever-evolving CBS/Paramount+ series is a major departure from what viewers may expect from Storrie. The new role, which ties into Criminal Minds: Evolution's long-running Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) storyline, is a far cry from Storrie's previous experiences, and positions him to an entirely new audience of potential fans. As Lance Kingston, Storrie has the chance to make a splash in a new way.

Connor Storrie's Criminal Minds Role Highlights His Acting Capabilities

Connor Storrie's Lance Kingston holding up a gun in Criminal Minds season 19.

As Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry, Storrie got to pull out the big guns, experimenting with accent work, physical stunts as a hockey player, and an emotionally charged queer romance arc, all culminating in one of the most exciting performances of the year. In Criminal Minds: Evolution, Storrie's role is a very different one. Introduced during Criminal Minds season 19 episode 4, "The Witching Hour", Storrie plays Lance Kingston, the former boss and current quasi-stalker of a woman who the BAU receives some personal photos of in the wake of Voit getting some potentially scary fan mail in solitary confinement.

When the team brings Lance in for questioning, Storrie's character gets the chance to go toe-to-toe with three of the BAU's finest. During an extensive questioning with Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (AJ Cook), Storrie gets to go from a hostile suspect to someone who's confronted with his own behavior in a harsh new light. Getting to access those stony, tough emotions, Storrie's performance with both Cook and Aisha Tyler, who plays Tara Lewis, feels like a whole new level of depth that viewers haven't had the chance to see. As Lance gets questioned and prodded, his discomfort feels palpable and overwhelming.

His performance with Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez allows Storrie to access a different level of fear, giving Lance a layered, nuanced, three-dimensional feel. Throughout the scenes where Lance is being questioned by the BAU, Storrie brings different elements and emotions into the performance, but it becomes clear that he isn't the big bad the team is looking for. Instead, viewers will get the chance to see Storrie's Lance in a whole different element as Criminal Minds: Evolution continues this season, with his arc stretching across four episodes as the case continues, allowing Storrie to continue impressing a new audience.

Release Date September 22, 2005

Showrunner Erica Messer

Directors Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky

Writers Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna