Toronto went wild for Hudson Williams — and his new show Yaga is so Canada down | CBC News

When Hudson Williams touched down in Toronto on Thursday, King Street turned into a party.

Phone cameras were out. Fans went wild. Posters and selfies galore. Outside the TIFF Lightbox, some dedicated fans had even waited up to 12 hours just to catch a glimpse of the Heated Rivalry star and score a ticket to his premiere.

Williams was in town for a special in-conversation event and the premiere of his next project, Yaga, a sex-fuelled mystery series based on Slavic folklore that starts streaming in October.

Fans of Williams will be well-fed, too. He plays not one, but two, roles in the show.

Shot earlier this year on Vancouver Island, Yaga follows a private investigator called to a small coastal town to search for the missing young heir to a wealthy fishery family, only to uncover a darker web of secrets.

It has a cast packed with Canadian stars, including Noah Reid (Schitt's Creek), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Clark Backo (Letterkenny), Sheila McCarthy and even original Anne of Green Gables star Megan Follows.

CBC News was on the red carpet for its world premiere at TIFF and although Williams didn't speak to the media, his co-star was asked if she had any advice for him.

Moss had a pretty simple answer: “He doesn't need it. He's doing great."

That set the vibe for the whole night. Yes, there was plenty of Hudson mania, but there was also an overwhelming sense of pride in the Canadian talent behind the show.

Reid, who stars as the private investigator with a fun, flirty change in tone from his role as Patrick on Schitt's Creek, shared his thoughts on the creative environment.

"There's a humility to the Canadian creative spirit that it's not ego-driven," he told CBC News.

"Everybody just wants to like, go in, do their best work, support each other, compete with each other in an effort to get the best product."