The Heated Rivalry breakout made his runway debut with Dsquared2 on Jan. 16 — and while the moment was major, he admits he has one small regret. Riding the wave of Heated Rivalry’s success, the actor took to Milan Men’s Fashion Week for his first-ever fashion show, walking for the Canadian brand alongside seasoned models.
In an interview with Wonderland Magazine conducted by his costar Sophie Nélisse, Williams opened up about the online chatter surrounding his walk. “Some people were like, ‘Face card, no walk card,’” he said, laughing. “I was salty. I was trying to channel high-fashion models — stiff, robotic. But Dsquared2 is a fun show. You’re supposed to swagger. I definitely could’ve leaned into that more. I could’ve walked with a little umph.”
Playing along with Nélisse’s joke that he was the “worst walker,” the 24-year-old admitted the experience felt daunting — though not exactly scary. “In the moment, I wasn’t nervous. I was just like, ‘F—.’ Everyone else had heels and platforms. I had flat boots because I literally couldn’t walk in anything else.”
Looking back, his only real regret was not rehearsing. “I don’t get nervous beforehand — I get mad afterward for not getting nervous,” he said. “If I’d known I was going to get dragged that hard, I would’ve practiced. People were like, ‘Who the f— is this guy?’ And I was like… yeah. I know.”
Williams — who stars as a gay professional hockey player in Heated Rivalry (streaming on HBO Max) — opened Dsquared2’s winter-themed show in double denim, a fitting choice for both the Canadian actor and the Canada-born fashion house.