Swedish heartthrob Edvin Ryding just landed one of the biggest casting announcements of his career — and fans of both Young Royals and the viral hockey romance series Heated Rivalry are losing their minds over it. The actor who broke hearts worldwide as Prince Wilhelm has officially joined the Season 2 cast of one of streaming’s fastest-growing queer romance hits, and the internet has been buzzing about it since the announcement dropped.
If you’re only just discovering Edvin Ryding because of this news, here’s the complete rundown: his height, weight, age, body stats, dating life, net worth, and everything you need to know about the role he’s stepping into next.
Quick Facts Table
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lars Edvin Folke Ryding |
| Known As | Edvin Ryding |
| Date of Birth | February 4, 2003 |
| Age | 23 years old |
| Birthplace | Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in – 6 ft (177–183 cm) |
| Weight | ~132 lbs (60 kg) |
| Body Type | Lean / Athletic |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Profession | Actor |
| Known For | Prince Wilhelm in Young Royals |
| New Role | Luca Haas in Heated Rivalry Season 2 |
| Relationship Status | Not publicly confirmed / keeps his love life private |
| Net Worth | Estimated around $3 million |
The Big News: Edvin Ryding Joins Heated Rivalry Season 2
Here’s what’s actually breaking right now. Heated Rivalry — the Crave original series based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling “Game Changers” hockey romance novels — became a surprise global phenomenon after it launched quietly in November 2025 and exploded into a full-blown cultural moment almost entirely through word of mouth. The show, which follows the years-long secret relationship between rival hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, was renewed for a second season within weeks of its debut.
Now, the second season’s cast has officially expanded — and Edvin Ryding is one of five major new additions. According to the announcement, Ryding has been cast as Luca Haas, joining fellow newcomers Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees, and Priyanka, alongside returning leads Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, plus previously confirmed new co-leads Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie.
Season 2 is expected to primarily adapt The Long Game, the sixth book in Reid’s “Game Changers” series, while also weaving in elements of Role Model to introduce a new central couple alongside Shane and Ilya’s continuing story. Production is already underway, with the season slated to premiere in spring 2027 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States.
For fans, the casting news is massive for one specific reason: it marks Ryding’s first major English-language TV role since Young Royals wrapped, and his most significant international project yet outside of his brief appearance in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later. Given the intensely passionate, extremely online fandom that both Young Royals and Heated Rivalryindependently command, the overlap of the two fanbases has already sent the announcement viral across social media within hours of it breaking.
Who Is Edvin Ryding?
Before he was Prince Wilhelm, Edvin Ryding was already a working actor in Sweden for over a decade. Born February 4, 2003, in Östermalm, Stockholm, his full birth name is Lars Edvin Folke Ryding. He began acting at just six years old, landing his first role in the miniseries Mannen under trappan in 2009.
From there, Ryding built a steady career in Swedish television and film long before international audiences ever knew his name. He’s best known domestically for playing Linus in the long-running series Gåsmamman between 2015 and 2021, as well as roles in Fröken Frimans krig and Love Me. By the time he was cast as Prince Wilhelm in Young Royals, Ryding was already a familiar face to Swedish television audiences — but nothing could have prepared him for the scale of global fame that followed.
Young Royals and Global Stardom
Young Royals premiered on Netflix in July 2021 and quickly became one of the platform’s most talked-about international series. Ryding played Prince Wilhelm, a young royal navigating the pressures of his position while falling for a fellow student, Simon, played by his now close friend Omar Rudberg. The show ran for three seasons, concluding in 2024, and turned both Ryding and Rudberg into major stars well beyond Sweden’s borders — particularly among young, extremely engaged fandoms across TikTok and Twitter/X, many of whom have followed Ryding’s every project since.
Off-screen, Ryding and Rudberg have remained close friends, frequently appearing on each other’s social media and referring to one another as best friends in interviews — a dynamic fans of the show have continued to celebrate long after the series ended.
Following Young Royals, Ryding made his English-language film debut with a role in Danny Boyle’s 2025 horror film 28 Years Later, a strategic move that signaled his ambitions to build an international career beyond Swedish television — a plan that’s now paying off in a major way with the Heated Rivalry casting.
Edvin Ryding’s Height & Body Stats
Ryding’s height has been reported slightly differently across various sources, generally ranging between 5 feet 10 inches (177 cm) and 6 feet (183 cm), with most recent trackers converging around the 5’10″–5’11” range. He has a lean, athletic build, with his weight commonly estimated around 132 lbs (60 kg), suited to the physically demanding roles he’s increasingly taking on — including, notably, a hockey drama, which typically requires a certain level of on-screen athleticism and training.
He has brown hair and brown eyes, and has largely maintained a fresh-faced, youthful look throughout his career, even as his roles have shifted toward darker, more mature material.
Edvin Ryding’s Family
Ryding was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. Various sources report slightly different details about his parents’ names and siblings, reflecting how privately he’s kept his family life throughout his career — a consistent theme in nearly every interview he’s given. What is consistent across reporting is that he grew up in the Stockholm area, began performing arts training as a child, and has remained based in Sweden even as his career has expanded internationally.
Is Edvin Ryding Dating Anyone?
This is one of the most-searched questions about the actor, and the honest answer is: it’s genuinely unclear. Ryding has kept his personal life almost entirely private throughout his rise to fame, and multiple entertainment outlets over the years have reported that he’s single and focused on his career, while a smaller number of sources have speculated about a relationship with a Swedish co-star. None of these reports have been confirmed by Ryding himself, and he has consistently declined to discuss his dating life in interviews.
Given how intensely his fanbase has scrutinized his personal life since Young Royals made him famous, Ryding’s choice to stay private on this front appears to be a deliberate one — and, if anything, the mystery has only fueled more fan interest rather than less.
Edvin Ryding’s Net Worth
Edvin Ryding’s net worth is most commonly estimated at around $3 million, built primarily through his acting work across more than a decade in the Swedish television and film industry, his breakout international success with Young Royals, and his growing list of English-language projects. As with most actors his age, exact figures aren’t publicly confirmed, and estimates should be treated as approximate. With his new role in Heated Rivalry — a series airing on both Crave and HBO Max, giving it significant international reach — his earning potential and public profile are both expected to climb substantially heading into the show’s spring 2027 premiere.
What We Know About Luca Haas, Ryding’s New Character
Details about Luca Haas’s specific role in Heated Rivalry Season 2 haven’t been fully revealed yet, though the character is drawn from Rachel Reid’s expanding “Game Changers” novel universe, which Season 2 is pulling from more broadly than Season 1 did. What is confirmed is that Ryding will be sharing screen time with an ensemble that includes Emily Hampshire as Vanessa, Robert Naylor as Wyatt Hayes (a hotly anticipated casting reveal in its own right, given how popular that character is among readers of the books), Sabrina Jalees as Farah Jalali, and Priyanka as Tarek — alongside new co-leads Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie, who are introducing a second central couple alongside Shane and Ilya’s continuing storyline.
Given how faithfully Heated Rivalry has adapted Reid’s source material so far, fans of the books have already begun speculating about exactly which storyline Luca Haas might be pulled into — speculation that’s only intensified since Ryding’s casting was confirmed.
Why This Casting Is Such a Big Deal
A few things are converging to make this one of the most talked-about TV casting stories of the week:
Two massive, overlapping fandoms are colliding. Young Royals built one of the most devoted LGBTQ+ fanbases in recent streaming history, and Heated Rivalry has done something remarkably similar in an even shorter time frame. Ryding moving from one to the other is, for a huge segment of both audiences, close to a dream crossover.
It’s Ryding’s biggest English-language TV role yet. While 28 Years Later introduced him to English-language film, Heated Rivalry represents a much larger, ongoing television commitment — and a much bigger platform, airing on HBO Max in the U.S.
The timing lines up with real momentum for the show. Heated Rivalry has been described as one of the surprise hits of 2025, and Season 2’s cast expansion — including Emmy-nominated Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire — has already been generating significant press on its own, before Ryding’s specific casting sent fan excitement into overdrive.
Fun Facts About Edvin Ryding
- He started acting professionally at just six years old.
- His full birth name is Lars Edvin Folke Ryding, though he’s professionally known simply as Edvin Ryding.
- He and Young Royals co-star Omar Rudberg have remained close friends off-screen since the show ended.
- 28 Years Later marked his English-language film debut, released in 2025.
- He’s built his entire career while remaining based in Sweden rather than relocating to Los Angeles or London.
FAQs About Edvin Ryding
What is Edvin Ryding’s new role in Heated Rivalry? He’s been cast as Luca Haas in Season 2, joining an expanded ensemble cast for the show’s second season.
How old is Edvin Ryding? He was born February 4, 2003, making him 23 years old.
How tall is Edvin Ryding? Reports generally place him between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall.
Is Edvin Ryding dating anyone? He hasn’t publicly confirmed a relationship, and has kept his personal life largely private throughout his career.
When does Heated Rivalry Season 2 premiere? It’s slated for a spring 2027 release on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States.
What is Edvin Ryding best known for? His breakout role as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s Young Royals.
Final Thoughts
Edvin Ryding’s jump from Swedish royal drama to one of streaming’s buzziest hockey romances is exactly the kind of casting move that turns a beloved international star into a full-blown global one. With Heated Rivalry Season 2 already generating major buzz well ahead of its spring 2027 premiere, all eyes are now on how Ryding’s Luca Haas fits into the show’s next chapter — and whether this is the role that turns him into as big a name internationally as Young Royals made him at home.
This article will be updated as more details about Edvin Ryding’s Heated Rivalry role and personal life are confirmed.