It's been a pretty good year for Hudson Williams, and YAGA has given us two more reasons to celebrate. His performances as Henry Park and Logan Casey have been attracting attention from critics, with The Hollywood Reporter highlighting his "admirable range," TheWrap praising how he differentiates the two roles, and Fangirlish calling him "truly a chameleon."

I've always loved movies and television shows where one actor plays multiple characters. I was absolutely obsessed with Orphan Black, and Tatiana Maslany is a legend as far as I'm concerned. The way she could make every clone feel like a completely different person was incredible. So when they announced that Hudson would be playing two characters in YAGA, I was absolutely gagged.

And I've been genuinely enjoying YAGA so far. I'm not particularly connected to Halloween culture, and spooky thrillers aren't usually my thing, but Kat Sandler's take on the Baba Yaga legend has kept me hooked. Carrie-Anne Moss is fantastic at the center of a story exploring female power, identity, and desire. The roughly 30-minute episodes have been another welcome surprise, keeping the mystery moving at a pace that makes it very easy to want another one.

Hudson Williams and Carrie-Anne Moss in a YAGA still by Christopher Lawrence

What's particularly interesting is that Hudson initially had reservations about playing both characters. He told Entertainment Weekly that he worried the concept might feel like a gimmick, but a conversation with Sandler convinced him otherwise. Even then, finding the right approach wasn't easy. During a TIFF Q&A, he compared the experience to chasing two rabbits and losing both before eventually figuring out how to make it work.

In The Watchlist, Hudson revealed that he studied Nicolas Cage in Adaptation and Ewan McGregor in Fargo, while exchanging phone calls and voice messages with Sandler to develop his ideas. Clark Backo praised the results in the same interview, pointing to the differences in his voice, speech patterns, and physical mannerisms, along with the makeup team's work on Logan's appearance.

A few interviews about YAGA have brought up ‘the Hudson Williams of it all.’ But what exactly does that mean? To me, what's most exciting is seeing how he makes the most of opportunities like this one. Behind all the headlines and attention, there's an actor who genuinely cares about his craft, who's willing to challenge himself, learn, and put in the work. The spotlight may be new, but the hard work and the love for what he does aren't. And that's what will keep him there.

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And clearly, I'm not the only one enjoying the show. YAGA has earned the Certified Fresh distinction on Rotten Tomatoes, a wonderful achievement for Kat Sandler, the cast, and everyone involved. I've gathered some of the reviews below if you'd like to see what critics have been saying:

Don't forget to check out our gallery for the latest photos, including HQ promotional images, behind-the-scenes shots and much more from YAGA!

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Happy Halloween! And remember, not every cottage in the woods is the one from Heated Rivalry. Some of them have legs. 😉