TORONTO — It’s Hudson Williams day at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Kelowna, B.C.-born actor is expected at two events on the eighth day of TIFF: an onstage Q-and-A this afternoon, and a screening of the first two episodes of his new TV show “YAGA” in the evening. The series, which also stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid and Clark Backo, is a modern retelling of the Baba Yaga myth set on Canada’s west coast. The show, which is due to hit the streaming service Crave next month, is based on the stage play by Kat Sandler, who serves as showrunner on the TV adaptation. Williams is among the most in-demand new Canadian celebrities, who got his big break late last year when he starred as Shane Hollander on the steamy hockey romance “Heated Rivalry,” which also streams on Crave. Since then, he and his American co-star Connor Storrie have become hot commodities in Hollywood, and they regularly draw a crowd when out and about. For instance, fans gathered outside the CBC building where the Canadian Screen Awards took place in May in hopes of spotting Williams, who they knew would be in attendance — not common for the awards show that celebrates the best of Canadian film and TV. The second season of “Heated Rivalry” began filming in the Toronto area last month, and showrunner Jacob Tierney put out a statement asking people not to interrupt the process. Also on the schedule at TIFF today is a Q-and-A session with South Korean actor Lee Min-ho and the world premiere of the film “Up Against It,” which stars Antonio Banderas and Eva Birthistle as ex-spouses parenting an ill child — and trying to conceive a new one who can provide a transfusion for their daughter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2026.
