Margaret Cho just revealed one of the greatest “what could have been” casting stories in recent queer TV history, and fans of Heated Rivalry are currently trying to emotionally process it.
Because apparently, Cho almost played Yuna Hollander.
Yes. Shane Hollander’s mother. Momma Hollander herself.
And suddenly the internet is collectively imagining a parallel universe where Cho was dramatically side-eyeing hockey players and emotionally supporting her fictional son while we all cried into our snacks every Thursday night.
To be fair, Christina Chang absolutely delivered in the role. Warm, empathetic, elegant, emotionally devastating when necessary. No notes.
But still. Margaret Cho as Shane’s mom? That would have been iconic television.
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The Role Almost Happened
Speaking on the I Never Liked You podcast with Matteo Lane and Nick Smith, Cho explained that she had actually received the script for Heated Rivalry and seriously considered joining the show.
Unfortunately, fear surrounding border detention ultimately made her decline.
“Last year, I got a script for a pilot script for a show that I really loved,” Cho explained. “But it shot in Canada and I was so scared because I’m so vocal about hating ICE and hating this administration.”
Cho admitted she became deeply anxious over the possibility of crossing the border because of her outspoken political views.
“I was like, ‘I will get detained at the border and I will be put in ICE detention if I go,’” she shared. “I had to talk to all these people about it, and I was super upset, and I said, ‘No.’”
It’s an incredibly honest and sobering reminder of the fears some public figures and activists continue navigating, especially those who have been outspoken politically.
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A Heated Rivalry Superfan Was Born Anyway
Even though the comedian turned down the role, she still became fully obsessed with the show afterward.
Honestly? Same.
Cho revealed she ended up hosting watch parties for the series and jokingly refers to actor Hudson Williams as her fictional child anyway.
“That’s my child!” she laughed. “Like Hudson is my child!”
Frankly, this is exactly the kind of chaotic fan energy we support.
And honestly, if you’ve seen Heated Rivalry at least twice like the rest of the internet apparently has, you understand why people get emotionally attached to everyone involved.
The hockey drama, the longing stares, the tension, the emotional suffering wrapped in attractive lighting. It took over queer television conversations almost immediately.
Cho Still Gives Christina Chang Her Flowers
Importantly, Cho made it very clear that she loved Chang’s performance in the role.
“Of course, the woman who played the part did a great job,” Cho said. “She’s wonderful and iconic, and everybody in it is… It came out so perfectly.”
Which honestly makes the story feel less like regret and more like one of television’s great alternate timelines.
Like yes, things worked out beautifully. But we’re still allowed to imagine.
Could Cho Still Join Season 2?
Now for the question everybody immediately started asking after hearing this story: could Cho still appear in season two somehow?
Her answer was brief but extremely dangerous to hopeful fans everywhere.
“We’ll see.”
That’s it. That’s the quote. Just enough to send people spiraling online for the next several months.
And honestly, if there’s any justice in the television universe, somebody should absolutely find a way to get Margaret Cho into Heated Rivalry eventually.
Because if there’s one thing queer audiences love almost as much as emotional hockey drama, it’s the possibility of even more fabulous casting chaos.