Off Campus’ Josh Heuston Wasn’t Prepared For How Obsessed People Are With Hockey Romance
If it feels like everyone you know is suddenly obsessed with steamy hockey romances, you’re definitely not imagining it. Even Australian actor Josh Heuston, who is at the heart of one such example, says he was caught off guard by just how passionate the fandom really is. Speaking to Refinery29 about Prime Video’s wildly popular Off Campus series, an adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s The Deal and the wider Off Campus universe, Heuston admits he had no idea how deep the hockey romance rabbit hole went before landing the role of musician Justin Kohl. “I wasn’t super aware of hockey and the fandom and how much people love that and everything associated with that,” he says. The actor, best known to audiences for his role as Dustin ‘Dusty’ Reid in Heartbreak High, said he knew of Kennedy’s bestselling books before auditioning, but only properly explored the world after securing the role. “I knew of the books, hadn’t read them, but when I got the audition, I read The Deal and it’s great,” he adds. It’s hardly surprising the adaptation has exploded online. Over the last few years, hockey romances have become one of BookTok’s most dominant genres, spawning enormous fandoms obsessed with emotionally unavailable athletes, chaotic college dynamics, and extremely steamy slow-burn relationships. Books like Icebreaker, The Deal, and Pucking Around have collectively amassed millions of readers globally, turning fictional hockey players into internet-level heartthrobs. I wasn’t super aware of hockey and the fandom and how much people love that and everything associated with that.Josh Heuston on off campus Plus, shows like the immensely popular Heated Rivalry — which Heuston says was filmed at a similar time as Off Campus — have only helped fuel the genre’s mainstream takeover, proving the appetite for emotionally messy, ultra-romantic hockey stories is showing no signs of slowing down. For Heuston, joining an already devoted fandom as the “token Aussie” of the ensemble cast could have been intimidating — but he says the experience ended up feeling surprisingly effortless. “Yes and no,” he laughs, when we ask whether working on an international cast felt very different to Australian productions. “Sometimes [they] don’t understand what I’m saying… but I also mumble a lot, so there’s a bit of that.” Still, the actor said the cast fully embraced both him and his Australianisms. “I fit in really well with that cast,” he explains. “They love the Australianisms, and it was just very easy. Just effortless, that entire show.” As for whether fans can expect Justin Kohl to return in Off Campus Season 2? Heuston suggested his time in the series may — for now at least — be finished. “At this stage, no,” he answers. “Everything from scheduling to storylines to books… there’s a lot of stories to show in this particular series.“You’ve got to stay true to Elle Kennedy’s books and let that rock.” This story was originally published on Refinery29 Australia. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Everything We Know About Off Campus Season 28 Differences Between Off Campus And The Deal Book'Off Campus' Is Steamy & Surprisingly Sensitive
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If it feels like everyone you know is suddenly obsessed with steamy hockey romances, you’re definitely not imagining it. Even Australian actor Josh Heuston, who is at the heart of one such example, says he was caught off guard by just how passionate the fandom really is. Speaking to Refinery29 about Prime Video’s wildly popular Off Campus series, an adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s The Deal and the wider Off Campus universe, Heuston admits he had no idea how deep the hockey romance rabbit hole went before landing the role of musician Justin Kohl.
“I wasn’t super aware of hockey and the fandom and how much people love that and everything associated with that,” he says. The actor, best known to audiences for his role as Dustin ‘Dusty’ Reid in Heartbreak High, said he knew of Kennedy’s bestselling books before auditioning, but only properly explored the world after securing the role.
“I knew of the books, hadn’t read them, but when I got the audition, I read The Deal and it’s great,” he adds. It’s hardly surprising the adaptation has exploded online. Over the last few years, hockey romances have become one of BookTok’s most dominant genres, spawning enormous fandoms obsessed with emotionally unavailable athletes, chaotic college dynamics, and extremely steamy slow-burn relationships. Books like Icebreaker, The Deal, and Pucking Around have collectively amassed millions of readers globally, turning fictional hockey players into internet-level heartthrobs.
I wasn’t super aware of hockey and the fandom and how much people love that and everything associated with that.
Josh Heuston on off campus
Plus, shows like the immensely popular Heated Rivalry — which Heuston says was filmed at a similar time as Off Campus — have only helped fuel the genre’s mainstream takeover, proving the appetite for emotionally messy, ultra-romantic hockey stories is showing no signs of slowing down.
For Heuston, joining an already devoted fandom as the “token Aussie” of the ensemble cast could have been intimidating — but he says the experience ended up feeling surprisingly effortless. “Yes and no,” he laughs, when we ask whether working on an international cast felt very different to Australian productions. “Sometimes [they] don’t understand what I’m saying… but I also mumble a lot, so there’s a bit of that.”
Still, the actor said the cast fully embraced both him and his Australianisms. “I fit in really well with that cast,” he explains. “They love the Australianisms, and it was just very easy. Just effortless, that entire show.”
As for whether fans can expect Justin Kohl to return in Off Campus Season 2? Heuston suggested his time in the series may — for now at least — be finished. “At this stage, no,” he answers. “Everything from scheduling to storylines to books… there’s a lot of stories to show in this particular series.
“You’ve got to stay true to Elle Kennedy’s books and let that rock.”
This story was originally published on Refinery29 Australia.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Everything We Know About Off Campus Season 2
