Stick, the new Apple TV+ golf comedy starring Owen Wilson, has the potential to help tide fans of Ted Lasso over until that show returns for its fourth season. From its trailer alone, the series certainly looks set to appeal to fans of Apple TV+’s flagship heartwarming sports comedy, as Owen Wilson’s former pro golfer Pryce Cahill mentors an up-and-coming golf phenomenon while finding his own place in the sport’s culture. That up-and-comer, Santi Wheeler, is played by Peter Dager, who has landed his biggest role yet with the series.

ScreenRant’s Stick episodes 1-3 review calls the series “my new favorite comfort show” and puts it in the same league as other feel-good Apple TV+ comedies Ted Lasso and Shrinking. The review also praised the series’ strong ensemble cast, which includes Marc Maron as Pryce’s friend Mitts, Judy Greer as Pryce’s ex-wife Amber-Linn, Lilli Kay as a bartender named Zero, and Mariana Treviño as Santi’s mother Elena. Together, the cast fleshes out a story about both Pryce and Santi working through past trauma to return to a sport that they love.

ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed the Stick cast about their work on the new Apple TV+ comedy. In two separate interviews, Owen Wilson, Marc Maron, and Judy Greer and Peter Dager, Lilli Kay, and Mariana Treviño discussed their experience getting ready for the golf comedy and finding their way to their characters. Plus, Kay revealed why the comedy might be perfect for Ted Lasso fans.

Peter Dager’s Santi Might Be The Best Fictional Golfer

“He Could Be The Tiger Woods”

The summer of 2025 is looking strong for golf comedies, with Stick beginning its run on Apple TV+ a month and change before Happy Gilmore 2 brings Adam Sandler’s titular quick-tempered golfer to Netflix. When asked where Pryce and Santi fit on the pantheon of fictional golf greats, Owen Wilson responded with, “Well, I don’t know where Pryce fits, but I think Santi might be the best, because he really is sort of a phenom, and I don’t know that some of these other golf movie greats have quite the talent that Santi potentially has.”

“He could be the Tiger Woods of [fictional golfers]”

Not only is Santi a phenomenal golfer, but Peter Dager has worked up quite a bit of skill as well. “In the beginning, there was no swing to talk about,” the actor said, adding, “I had never picked up golf before, and my knowledge of the game was very minimal. Then, once I found out I got the part, I started training a lot more, and I started learning about the game … I learned about the technical aspects of it, but also so much [of the] philosophy intertwined with the game itself.”

Dager’s golf knowledge increased to a degree where he even began to rely less on his golf double. The actor shared that “the first couple episodes” featured his double, Justin Bjornson, but “by the end of it, I think most of them are pretty much me.” Still, Dager had plenty of praise for Bjornson, saying “Justin’s amazing, and I learned so much from him. He was a huge asset for me.”

Dager’s defining moment as a golfer, unfortunately, didn’t make it to the screen. “He had a hole in one,” Lilli Kay shared, “and we didn’t get it on camera.”

Marc Maron Explains Mitt’s Crankiness

“Why Did They See Me As This Guy?”

Marc Maron is known for a certain amount of crankiness, which is exactly what landed him the role of Mitt. “Not only did they want to cast me,” Maron said, “but they were insistent.” While the actor said he could “definitely relate to the guy,” he also said he’s quite happy with his life: “I was like, ‘Why did they see me as this guy?’ I don’t have a good sense of how I’m seen.” Still, he shared, “I guess I fell right into it. It was no problem. It’s a relief to be that cranky.”

“I think I’ve hit this level in my life where the crankiness is a little endearing.”

But Mitt is more than just a cranky person, which is revealed in part even by something as small as his choice of television show. In the pilot, Mitt chooses to unwind by watching Desperate Housewives, about which Maron said, “I think that’s a weird and important kind of character point about him that, in his loneliness or grief, he connects with the drama of these women. I think it’s an interesting thing about his secret life that he lives that way.”

How Stick’s Ensemble Related To Their Roles

“I Knew I Had To Be A Part Of This”

Stick’s ensemble cast is an exciting collection whose past work includes GLOW, Arrested Development, Yellowstone, and A Man Called Otto. Each actor is clearly skilled at inhabiting a character, and in celebrating Stick’s release, they shared what drew them to their roles on the comedy. When asked what she loved about playing Pryce’s ex-wife Amber-Linn, Judy Greer shared, “I liked how much she loved him still. I really did. And that the love has evolved into caring, and ion, and wanting the best for him. I think that’s [an] infinitely more interesting relationship than animosity.”

“And because of the reason they’re not together anymore, I think it’s really cool for her to want him to [succeed.]”

For Lilli Kay, Zero was an easy pick based on the scripts and early conversations alone. “The writing in the show is incredible,” Kay said, continuing, “I had a call with Jason [Keller], our showrunner, to hear more about the character and about his thoughts of where they would go, and the way that he spoke about Zero, the way that he spoke about the story–I knew I had to be a part of this. I needed to, because they’re such a special character [and] such a special person. Jason was so collaborating in developing them with me.”

“When you get a script like that, you’re like, ‘I hope I get cast’,” Mariana Treviño reflected, “because it’s just really good, effective, transparent, and heartfelt writing. And it’s consistent along the whole show … it’s embedded with the emotion that’s happening–it’s bubbling with it–and that leads to the comedy, but it leads to a lot of heartfelt moments [as well].”

So, Is Stick The Next Ted Lasso?

“If You Love Ted Lasso, I Do Think You’ll Love This”

Because of its feel-good nature and sports focus, Stick naturally invites comparisons to Ted Lasso. When asked if that’s a fair way to think about the show, Lilli Kay said, “If you love Ted Lasso, I do think you’ll love this, because I feel like there’s a lot of real humanity and joy in this.”

Kay continued, stating, “And I do think that something that [sets] this show apart is that sort of almost alchemical balance between humanity, real issues, [and] real things that we encounter in our lives every day and this incredible wonder, joy, and ion around the sport, and around the humor and the comedy that exists in the show. I think there's not a lot on TV that really just makes you feel good and happy to watch. And I think this is one of those.”

The three-episode premiere of Stick is out now on Apple TV+.