The actor Hudson Williams, who rose to wide recognition for his role in the HBO series Heated Rivalry, has taken a surprising turn away from the rom-com sheen of his on-screen persona. In Heated Rivalry, an enemies-to-lovers story set against the world of ice hockey, Williams and his co-stars Connor Storrie, François Arnaud and Robbie GK became instant talking points. Fans are still waiting for details about Heated Rivalry season two, but Williams has been quietly assembling a varied slate of projects that underline his range.
One of those projects is a very different sort of spotlight: Williams appears as a volatile figure described as a “madman” in Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey‘s new video for the song “The Madwoman”, due out on Monday (13 April). The casting flips the actor away from the amiable Shane Hollander image and toward a more intense, unsettling performance, signaling that Williams is exploring roles that contrast sharply with his breakout character.
The Madwoman: cast, visuals and short scenes
The music video stacks an eclectic supporting cast around Williams, including Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, influencer and model Megan Skiendiel (associated with Katseye) and actor Lola Tung (known for Forbidden Fruits). Laufey used Instagram to unveil the ensemble with a set of polaroid-style photographs, signalling a deliberately retro, intimate visual approach. Among the images were a black-and-white portrait of Williams in a suit and a sepia-tinged shot of him beside Laufey at a pool, hinting at the stylized, almost cinematic mood the director is pursuing.
Social media teasers that set the tone
In the promotional roll-out, Laufey shared two polaroids of Williams on Friday (10 April) with a playful caption that introduced him as the project’s “madman” and even peppered the post with two fish emojis. A shorter clip posted on Thursday (9 April) offers a sharper taste of the narrative: Williams lets out a delivered line — “I\’m in love with your sister.” — during a tense, formal poolside dinner where a mute butler stands sentinel. The snippet cuts to Laufey holding a sign that reads “Hot,” and the on-screen TikTok text reads: “When there\’s literally nothing he can do or say to push you away,” setting up a power struggle between characters.
Where the song fits in Laufey’s catalogue
“The Madwoman” is drawn from Laufey‘s third studio album, A Matter of Time, and it appears alongside a deluxe edition titled A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, which was released the same day as the single. The pairing of a polished visual short with tracks from an established record signals a deliberate campaign to broaden the song’s reach beyond streaming playlists and into cinematic storytelling. Laufey, who is 26 years old, has been cultivating a modern chamber-pop identity, and this video leans into a theatrical aesthetic that matches that musical sensibility.
Williams’s other screen work and expanding range
Beyond the music video, Williams is linked to several projects that underscore his appetite for diverse material. He appears in the Crave mystery thriller Yaga, a reimagining of Slavic folklore built around the figure commonly called Baby Yaga, and he is also part of The Altruists, a Netflix drama that dramatizes the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Those roles, alongside the bold choice to play an unhinged character in a music video, indicate a deliberate pivot to projects that challenge his previous image and broaden his profile.
What viewers can expect next
For audiences tracking Williams’s career, the upcoming video and his other credits suggest he is willing to alternate between mainstream serialized drama and concentrated, stylized pieces. Fans of Heated Rivalry will likely spot tonal contrasts, while music and pop-culture followers may be drawn both by Laufey‘s aesthetic and by the high-profile cameos. With the video due on Monday (13 April) and Williams’ other projects in production or release, his trajectory points toward a busy season that balances commercial visibility with creative risk-taking.