Justice Smith Promises ‘Heated Rivalry’ Fans To “Take Good Care” Of Harris Drover “If You Give Me A Chance”

The casting of most beloved literary characters in screen adaptation inevitably creates online discourse as fans of the books have their own preconceived notions for what the characters should look like. Heated Rivalry is no exception, with the announcement on Friday that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie will play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively, in Season 2 of the hugely popular series based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changer books, triggering a strong reaction.

Smith appeared to address the discourse on his Instagram Story.

“I am moved by the support and love I’m getting from fans in my dms, fans who have welcomed me with open arms and who already feel a responsibility to protect me.”

The protecting part is likely a reference to negative comments posted online, a lot of them pointed at Smith’s casting.

“I am honored to play a character that you all care about deeply and I promise that I will take good care of him if you give me the chance,” he wrote, adding, “I am beyond excited for the experience.”

The negative online response to the Harris and Troy castings also prompted Reid to remind fans that Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams — now loved around the world for their portrayal of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, respectively — weren’t an easy sell either.

“Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for llya and Shane was wrong and bad…,” Reid wrote on her Instagram Story.

Harris Drover and Troy Barrett are the central couple in Role Model, the fifth book in Reid’s bestselling Game Changer series, which is being used as source material for Season 2 alongside the Ilya and Shane follow-up book, The Long Game.

Troy is a hockey player on Ilya’s team with a history of bullying, while Harris is the team’s cheerful social media manager,

“From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen,” Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney and fellow executive producer Brendan Brady said on Friday about the search for Harris and Troy. “Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”