HBO’s Heated Rivalry has gained immense popularity for the shocking combination of sports with a gay love story. However, Shane and Ilya aren’t the only cast members we’re obsessed with – the girls are in a league of their own. That’s where Nadine Bhabha comes in.
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
Her Hometown
She is from Toronto, Ontario. This makes her a native Canadian, like Shane Hollander. She attended York University, also known as YorkU, and completed her degree in theatre. Attending this Canadian university kept her close to home – it’s the third largest university in Canada!
Career in Film
After graduating with her degree in theatre, she went on to write, produce, and act in various short films in her hometown of Toronto. Notable roles in short films include The Fates in 2018, Lovers, Leftovers in 2019, and Chronic in 2024.
She also acted in a few full-length films, including Terror Train 1 and 2 in 2022, a remake of the original 1980 slasher film. Unfortunately, it was not received as well as the original film, with critics saying that a diverse cast was nice, but the plot was lacking.
Her second film was Please, After You in 2024, where she played a small role.
TV features
Like many aspiring actors, Nadine took on smaller roles before landing her break in Heated Rivalry.
She began in 2018 as a harbor attendant on an episode of Imposters. More recently, she appeared in Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent.
Some notable roles include Bianca in Letterkenny on Hulu from 2018-2023, Gwen on One More Time in 2024, and, of course, Elena on Heated Rivalry in 2025.
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Her Role in the Industry
She has dedicated her career to portraying and writing nuanced female roles in the Canadian film industry and shows great commitment to telling the stories of these women. In an interview, she says that she would love to see more flawed women of color who are not struggling with an identity crisis due to being a woman of color. It’s much more interesting when a character just happens to be a WOC!
She loves working in both comedy and serious roles, explaining that it reflects her life experience – there are both funny and serious moments every day! She loves how different roles allow her to tap into different parts of herself.
What makes her stand out? Her toolbelt is full of talent. She writes, she directs, and she acts. This is what has gotten her nominations in the writing and acting categories. She has won one award so far: Best Supporting Actress for her role in the web series Barbelle.
What’s Next?
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is confirmed, and she will definitely be there. Before that, you can catch her on Books that Changed My Life, a podcast web series hosted by Chris Collins, who is on a mission to make books cool again. Searching far and wide for a life-changing book has led him into compelling conversations and packed his bookshelves full of new recs.
You can check out Nadine’s episode coming soon, but for now, here is the latest episode with Lisa Rinna.
