“Icebreaker” Netflix Cast: Nate Hawkins Goes to a TV Newcomer
The BookTok-to-screen pipeline just landed another major title. On Monday, Netflix revealed who will play the leads in “Icebreaker,” its series adaptation of Hannah Grace’s hockey romance. The pick for Nate Hawkins is an actor with no TV credits yet.
Daisy Jelley will star as Anastasia “Stassie” Allen, and Connor Simos will play Nate. Variety broke the news before Netflix confirmed it.
A Familiar Face and a Fresh One
Jelley already has a Netflix connection. She starred in “Geek Girl,” the streamer’s adaptation of the YA novel, and she’s in the upcoming Netflix original “Poser.” Film fans may know her from “How to Have Sex.”
Simos is the bigger surprise. “Icebreaker” will be his first credited TV role, and his only other announced project is the thriller film “Subversion,” which hasn’t been released yet. Netflix is putting one of its most anticipated romance adaptations on a leading man most viewers haven’t seen. That’s either a smart gamble or the start of a breakout.
When Their Worlds Collide
For anyone who hasn’t read the book, Stassie is a figure skater aiming for the Olympics. Nate is a college hockey star who wants to go pro in the NHL. The two characters’ worlds collide when an accident leaves the skaters and the hockey team splitting one rink. Neither of them wants to give up any ice time, and the fight over the rink turns into the enemies-to-lovers romance that made the book a phenomenon.
Why Netflix Wanted This One
Grace first published “Icebreaker” in 2022. According to Netflix, it has since spent 70 consecutive weeks on The New York Times best-seller list and sold close to 5 million copies. The book launched Grace’s Maple Hills series, which has sold more than 7.5 million copies worldwide.
The timing works in Netflix’s favor too. Last year’s “Heated Rivalry” proved that hockey romance can become a TV hit, and “Icebreaker” arrives with a built-in fan base that’s been casting this couple in its head for years.
The Team Behind the Ice
Netflix first announced the series in June at the Banff World Media Festival, along with most of the creative team. Amanda Lasher, a writer and producer on “Gossip Girl” and “The Bold Type,” is the showrunner. She’s also writing and executive producing. Jade Halley Bartlett created the series and executive produces, and Grace is an executive producer as well.
“Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper is executive producing through Unwell Productions with Matt Kaplan and Mina Lefevre. Cooper has already moved past podcasting. Unwell produced the reality series “Love Overboard” for Hulu and “Let’s Marry Harry” for Netflix, and it has another scripted project, “You Deserve to Know,” in development at Hulu. “Icebreaker” is one of her biggest steps yet into scripted drama.
What Comes Next
What’s on Netflix reports that production begins Oct. 19 in Vancouver. Netflix hasn’t announced a premiere date or the supporting cast. For now, Maple Hills fans finally know who their Stassie and Nate are.
Written with the help of AI, reviewed and edited by Harmony Daniels.
