Heated Rivalry’s Shane Hollander offers a different autistic-coded portrayal

According to Time, the Canadian queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry presents Hudson Williams’ character, Shane Hollander, as autistic-coded in ways that diverge from familiar screen archetypes. Where many onscreen autistic characters share a common set of external tells—awkward posture, twitches, and an arrhythmic cadence—Shane is shown differently: he is Asian, his story does not foreground a formal autism diagnosis, and his performance emphasizes flat affect, a limited vocal range, subtle microexpressions, visible cognitive processing in unexpected moments, and bodily tension that eases around someone who understands him.

The character’s genesis was shaped by people close to autism: Rachel Reid, the books’ author, has an autistic child and has said she later recognized Shane as probably autistic, while Williams has drawn on a close autistic family member in developing the role. The article also notes that some of Williams’ offhand interview descriptions—calling the character “a giant wooden suit” or “like a Roomba”—landed awkwardly in public discussion.

Key Topics

Culture, Heated Rivalry, Shane Hollander, Hudson Williams, Rachel Reid, Autism