I'm gonna say why I admire Hudson so much and why I think he's really brave. Because let's be honest, he was given a character - Shane Hollander - who is a prime example of how a white woman from yaoi kingdom writes an "exotic bottom boy character" conforming to all the Asian, feminized bottom stereotypes without giving any consideration to the racial representation.
Shane looks "pretty", his exotic looks are constantly mentioned, his body is hairless, he's smaller than his big sexy Russian top, he's on the autistic spectrum, he's ranked low in the biggest dicks list of the GCU, he's a strict bottom, he's got a tiger mom... and his race only affects his look, but not his inner world or his struggles.
I think for a more insecure actor, playing such a character would be basically a career suicide - forever being locked into the "little Asian bottom" box.
But Hudson did something amazing with Shane. Shane in the TV show is masculine in really appealing way (soft and kind, but also firm and assertive), he radiates an easy physical strength that's not inferior to the top, he's a jock, but like a smart one who shines with his love of the game, he's autistic but not a caricature, he's unapologetic about his sexual preference once he figures it out, he goes down on his knees or crawls on the bed like he's acing a challenge thrown in his face.
And Hudson goes around crassly hyping and glamorizing being a bottom, taking up space, refusing to feel shame or be embarrassed about Shane. At the same time, with his wacky, shameless humour, he also shows himself being polite, caring, considerate, charming - never as a subservience, but as a confident embodiment of non-toxic masculinity.
I'm truly at awe how he took this racial stereotype, took control of the characterisation, took control of the narrative, the discourse and elevated both Shane Hollander as a character, and Hudson Williams as an actor, who is not merely the next prince of Wasia, desirable for his looks, but someone who is capable representing more than just his race or heritage. Someone universal - with appeal for the queer community, for all people with no-filter ADHD chaos, for people valuing decency and kindness.
