James Austin Johnson and Connor Storrie in ‘Saturday Night Live’ promo
Credit: Saturday Night Live\/YouTube (2)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
From Heated Rivalry<\/em><\/a> to a heated face-off! Saturday Night Live<\/em><\/a> dropped its first teaser for Connor Storrie<\/a>‘s upcoming hosting debut and it showed that the actor isn’t afraid to flaunt his impressive arsenal of accents that go beyond Ilya Rosanov’s Russian accent.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old actor, who portrays Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov on the hit Crave drama, amazed fans and peers alike with his seemingly flawless depiction of the character’s thick accent, which he brings up in Wednesday’s teaser promoting his hosting gig.<\/p>\n “I actually do all kinds of accents,” Storrie tells SNL<\/em> cast members Ashley Padilla and Marcello Hern\u00e1ndez in the video. That’s when James Austin Johnson \u2014 whose already made his mark on the sketch comedy series with his Donald Trump impression \u2014 comes into the picture, wearing cowboy boots and spurs, and ready to challenge Storrie to a face-off.<\/p>\n Connor Storrie for ‘Saturday Night Live’ “Did somebody say ‘all kinds of accents’?” Johnson asks as he enters the room. “Well I reckon this here show ain’t big enough for the both of us.”<\/p>\n Storrie stands up, putting on a cowboy hat he pulled out of thin air, responding, “I reckon it ain’t … partner.”<\/p>\n “It’s an accent duel!” Padilla exclaims. “Come on, let’s get out of the way.”<\/p>\n Johnson and Storrie then engage in a back-and-forth of accents, showing off their skills in German, Cajun, French, Shakespeare, “Shakespeare but bad,” Shrek, and even the Na’vi of Avatar<\/em> fame. The only accent that both actors draw the line at is doing Jamaican. (“Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Storrie reasons.)<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, Storrie pulls out his not-so-secret weapon: his breakout Russian accent. “When you get to hell, tell them Rosanov sent you,” the Joker: Folie \u00e0 Deux <\/em>actor says in what any Game Changers <\/em>series fan will tell you is Ilya Rosanov at his finest. It’s no surprise that Johnson is dramatically taken out by Storrie’s prowess.<\/p>\n SNL <\/em>is smart to capitalize on Storrie’s gift with accents; the actor previously revealed that he once delivered his lines so convincingly<\/a> on set that he fooled a Russian extra on set into thinking he actually spoke the language fluently.<\/p>\n During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers<\/em><\/a> last month, Storrie shared that many of the actors who served as extras were Russian, and he had to learn a very important Russian phrase amid the fervor surrounding the series. \u201cI always say in Russian, \u2018I speak Russian really poorly,\u2019\u201d he added.<\/p>\n However, Storrie’s Russian must not be so bad since an older Russian extra believed his acting so much, she tried to speak with him in the language after a scene!<\/p>\n “The scene where after my dad’s funeral — spoiler — I’m with my brother, everyone at that table was actually Russian. This Russian lady, this older lady, I came back in to reset and she starts [speaking Russian],” Storrie recalled. “And then I’m like, ‘No, I don’t… I don’t do that.’<\/p>\n “Then she told the person next to her,” he said. “She was [speaking in Russian] and then this man was like, ‘Oh, she thought you were an actual Russian speaker.'” Storrie quickly clarified that the woman didn’t think he was actually Russian, but rather “she thought that my parents were Russian and I speak Russian at home with a pseudo-American accent.”<\/p>\n Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams on ‘Heated Rivalry’ There’s plenty more material from Storrie’s work on Heated Rivalry <\/em>for SNL<\/em> to use for Saturday’s many sketches, and fans have been vocal about hoping to see the actor’s costars make an appearance during his debut \u2014\u00a0especially co-lead Hudson Williams<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>SNL<\/em><\/a>\u00a0alum Jimmy Fallon has already vouched for the Canadian-born actor to host<\/a> himself, so a quick cameo would be a cheeky way to tease the possibility.<\/p>\n Either way, seeing the pair together after their stint as torchbearers for the Olympic torch relay<\/a> would be a sweet treat for Heated Rivalry<\/em> fans who have a bit of a wait for the second season of the provocative Canadian drama.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Credit: Rosalind O\u2019Connor\/NBC<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
Credit: Sabrina Lantos\/HBO Max<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n