Margaret Cho Turned Down ‘Heated Rivalry’ Role Because She Feared She’d ‘Get Detained’ By ICE at Canadian Border: ‘It’s All Because of Trump’

Comedian Margaret Cho recently told the “I Never Liked You” podcast that she turned down an opportunity to be in “Heated Rivalry” because the show was shot in Canada, and she didn’t want to travel out of the United States during President Donald Trump’s second term.

“There’s things that I haven’t done that I should’ve done,” Cho said when asked if she had any roles that got away. “Last year, I got a pilot script for a show that I really loved. But it shot in Canada, and I was so scared because I’m so vocal about hating ICE and hating this administration. I was like, ‘I will get detained at the border, and I will be put in ICE detention if I go.’”

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She continued, “I was struggling over it, and I talked to all these people about it, and I was super upset about it, and I said no. And it was ‘Heated Rivarly.’”

Cho said that she has watched “Heated Rivarly” since and has even “hosted some rewatch parties.” She also made sure to reiterate the reason why she stepped away from the show: “It’s all because of Trump.”

“Heated Rivarly” quickly became one of the most talked-about shows in streaming after it hit HBO Max and Canadian streamer Crave in November 2025. Based on the book series by Rachel Reid, the steamy queer drama follows up-and-coming hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who maintain a facade as arch rivals in the rink while engaging in a secret off-ice romance.

“Heated Rivalry” was renewed for a second season in December 2025.