Exclusive Interview
‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Shaheen Jafargholi Talks Bringing Fabian’s Romance to Life
What To Know
- Shaheen Jafargholi is joining Season 2 of Heated Rivalry as Fabian Salah.
- He told Swooon that it is an “honor” to bring the character’s romance with Ryan Price to life.
- Jafargholi is also starring in HBO’s upcoming legal drama War, premiering October 1.
When Swooon caught up with Shaheen Jafargholi about his next act, he revealed that he is “honored” to join the world of Heated Rivalry as Fabian Salah.
In November 2025, Heated Rivalry Season 1 took the world by storm, bringing to life Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two closeted hockey players on opposing teams hooking up behind closed doors. Based on the second novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance depicts a situationship for the ages, melting into a trailblazing romance. Of course, Shane and Ilya’s story is just the beginning.
During Season 2, which is currently filming in Canada, Heated Rivalry is set to introduce more characters from Reid’s Game Changers series, including indie musician Fabian Salah and star athlete Ryan Price, who are the leads of Tough Guy. Recently, it was revealed that Jafargholi will portray Fabian, and Daniel Diemer will portray Ryan.
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When asked what excites him most about joining the Heated Rivalry universe and bringing Fabian and Ryan’s love story to life, Jafargholi told Swooon, “It’s not really one specific thing, but it’s more just the fact that the story is being told, period.”
Looking at his character’s role in the overall universe and including a double date that could be in Fabian, Ryan, Shane, and Ilya’s future, he explained, “They’re both obviously super integral characters to the story and Shane and Ilya’s story, so to get to kind of step into that world and be a part of it in any capacity is a dream.”
Ultimately, Jafargholi wanted fans to know, “I’m super, super honored.”
The actor is currently starring in HBO’s new legal drama series, War, which premieres on October 1. He plays Saeed Masood, a training associate at Taylor & Byrne, one of two law firms facing off in an explosive divorce case.
— Reporting by Meaghan Darwish
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA, Crave/HBO Max
