In today’s fame economy, being visible often requires looking back. No one grasps this better than the cast of *Heated Rivalry*.

When individuals achieve fame like Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have post-*Heated Rivalry*, fans don’t solely focus on their latest endeavors — they investigate their histories, unearthing old usernames, lost uploads, and early iterations of the personalities they’ve recently found. The internet retains everything; it merely waits.

For Storrie, this investigation directly led to YouTube. A channel he launched ten years ago, at the young age of 12 in Odessa, Texas, resurfaced online following the sudden popularity of *Heated Rivalry*. At that time, his goal was straightforward: he aspired to be an actor. The videos were genuine, evidently the work of a child experimenting publicly.

In a recent conversation with People, Storrie shared his thoughts on witnessing those childhood videos gain traction. “It’s strange to see them go viral,” he remarked, mentioning he initially contemplated removing them.

A fan even volunteered to assist in taking them down through a contact at YouTube, and Storrie initiated the procedure. However, rather than feeling liberated, he experienced resistance. “Honestly, it felt like the conclusion of a sort of self-acceptance ritual,” he noted.

Instead of deleting them, Storrie made the choice to keep the videos online. “It felt great to say, ‘Yep, that was me. And this is me now,'” he clarified, viewing the choice not as a branding strategy but as an act of acceptance.

That acceptance has developed over time. In a Dec. 26 interview with Variety, Storrie opened up more about his younger self. “I cherish that little guy. I adore him. I once didn’t like him,” he admitted.

Growing up as “this artist, sissy boy in West Texas who didn’t want to play football,” Storrie sought solace in his imagination. “I desired to pretend, to dress up, to escape into peculiar worlds and connect with others that way, and that was just not typical in that environment.”

If he could offer that young YouTuber any counsel now, it wouldn’t be to diminish himself. Rather, it would be the contrary. Storrie stated he’d advise him to be larger, bolder, and more assertive in creating his own chances instead of waiting to be selected. “Try placing yourself in your own projects,” he suggested.

While announcing the nominees for the 32nd Annual Actor Awards (previously referred to as the SAG Awards) on YouTube, Storrie subtly honored his younger self, introducing himself in the same manner he had over a decade ago. The delivery was deliberate, and the smile playful.

As digital legacies are increasingly regarded as burdens, Storrie’s reaction presents a more compassionate approach: not concealing where you began, but standing firmly by it.