Actor François Arnaud secured a global ambassadorship with Under Armour in July following scenes of him running in skin-tight compression shirts in the show “Heated Rivalry,” according to an interview with WWD. The 41-year-old actor, who plays hockey player Scott Hunter, admitted he never imagined representing an athletic brand due to a long-standing personal aversion to self-serious fitness culture.
How Heated Rivalry Catapulted Arnaud Into Activewear Campaigns
Arnaud never anticipated becoming the face of a major athletic brand prior to receiving the call from Under Armour, according to WWD. The partnership materialized within weeks after viewers latched onto specific sequences of his character walking into a smoothie shop wearing a see-through, skin-tight Under Armour compression shirt.
“We knew that that moment of where Scott keeps walking into that smoothie shop with the sort of see-through, skin-tight Under Armour compression shirt, that it was a thing,” Arnaud told WWD.
Despite embracing the role, Arnaud confessed to a lifelong internal struggle regarding fitness culture. “I was like a grungy kid and it took a long time for me to think that working out could be cool,” Arnaud said. He noted that while he always exercised, he avoided discussing it with friends because taking care of oneself felt embarrassing.
Did you know? François Arnaud’s Under Armour campaign video was directed by Mat+Kat, the same directing duo behind Jeremy Allen White’s viral Calvin Klein ad, according to WWD.
Balancing Whimsical Fitness with High-Fashion Ambassadorships
To keep the partnership authentic, Arnaud insisted that his Under Armour campaign adopt a “whimsical” and “tongue-in-cheek” tone, avoiding the intense self-seriousness he typically cringes at in fitness media, as reported by WWD. The actor views exercise merely as a supporting accessory to his overall well-being rather than a monastic lifestyle.
“I work out, but my form isn’t perfect. I can’t take myself seriously. Balance, I think, is the right word,” Arnaud explained to WWD, adding that he prioritizes sleep, food, and enjoying his life over strict fitness regimens.
In addition to his contract with Under Armour, Arnaud recently took on a high-fashion role as a Saint Laurent ambassador, according to WWD. His slate of upcoming projects also reflects a busy career trajectory following the success of “Heated Rivalry.”
Upcoming Projects: From Independent Film to Broadway Debut
Arnaud recently wrapped production on an independent film titled “Godstar” and secured a role in a Hulu series adaptation of the book “Count My Lies,” starring alongside Lindsay Lohan, Kit Harington, and Shailene Woodley, according to WWD. Looking further ahead, the actor is preparing for his Broadway debut in February 2027.
Arnaud will star in a revival of Richard Greenberg’s play “Three Days of Rain,” directed for a new run that also features David Corenswet and Yvonne Strahovski, as reported by WWD. The play originally opened on Broadway in 2006 with a cast that included Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, and Paul Rudd.
“I can’t believe it,” Arnaud said of the upcoming production. “It’s like my dream Broadway debut, with the director and the cast and the play and the role.”
As for “Heated Rivalry,” Arnaud confirmed to WWD that more episodes are on the way and that his character, Scott Hunter, will return alongside Kip, though he declined to share specific plot details.
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