Peter Dager on His Breakout Role in Golf Comedy Series “Stick”

From the outside looking in, Peter Dager understands why golf has been such an apt vehicle for comedy over the years. From Caddyshack to Happy Gilmore to Apple TV+’s latest project, Stick, the sport continues to be parodied. Why? “I think the pursuit itself is hysterical,” explains Dager, who stars alongside Owen Wilson in the series. “The idea of wanting to be perfect at a game literally based on imperfection.”

Dager’s character, Santi, is a character largely defined by such imperfections. A troubled 17-year-old golf phenom, Santi is discovered by Pryce Cahill — played by Wilson — an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After the collapse of his marriage and getting fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store, Pryce bets big, and risks his future, entirely on Dager’s character. Throughout the first season, both characters are quick to identify the other’s imperfections both on and off the course. It’s an unlikely pairing in a high-stakes environment that, as one can imagine, once again elicits the perfect backdrop for comedic storytelling.

“I see so much TV nowadays where my generation, Gen Z, get pulled into these really limited stereotypes […] But Santi is ambitious and he’s failing but he’s resilient. It’s three-dimensional.”

Peter Dager

Sitting back casually in his chair with a cool, effortless sense of ease, Dager explains that he resonated with Santi’s personality when he first got a hold of the script. “There are a lot of similarities between Santi and me, actually. I used a lot of my own history when it came to building out his personality.” While there are flashes of Santi recognizable in our interview — including some good-natured irreverence — Dager explains that one aspect that felt entirely foreign was the sport itself.

“I’m from Miami. My mother is Venezuelan, and my dad is Cuban. And for Latinos, I don’t think golf is the biggest sport,” he laughs. “You know, we’ve got football, and basketball is pretty big all over the world. But golf was not something that any of my parents, grandparents, or anybody I know played. I grew up playing baseball.” He mimics his baseball swing, explaining how he transitioned it for the show. “I can’t hit the ball great, but at least it looks like a good swing.”

For Dager, Stick opened his eyes to more than just the game. Working alongside Wilson — one of comedy’s most beloved constants over the past 20 years — he admits he was one of the few people on Earth not familiar with his filmography. “I’d never seen his work, so I think it was an advantage because I wasn’t nervous around him. When I flew out to the screen test, it was me and another kid. I don’t know how he reacted when he saw Owen but, for me, it was natural.”

The ironic parallels between Dager and Wilson’s relationship and that of their characters aren’t lost on him. “He’s a famous golfer, he’s played with Tiger [Woods] and Phil [Mickelson]. And Santi has no idea who he is. It’s kind of funny in that way. But after we wrapped, I watched all of Owen’s movies, like Midnight in Paris, Wedding Crashers, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Bottle Rocket. I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I didn’t get it before and it was probably for the best but, yeah, I get it now.”

Despite roles in Insidious: The Red Door and Who Invited Charlie? that served as integral stepping stones, Stick offered 22-year-old Dager his first chance to truly embody a character. Instead of being star-struck by his co-star, Dager turned to Wilson for guidance in bringing the comedy to life as equals.

“I felt a responsibility because Owen is such a pro that you know he’s going to show up to every scene. And I’m the other lead, so if I don’t hit it, it doesn’t work,” he says. “I didn’t want it to feel like, ‘Man, these actors are great and, hey, the kid isn’t bad for his age.’ I wanted people to look at Owen and [me] — because there are so many scenes where we’re bouncing back and forth off of each other’s energy — and think of us as two actors actually working with each other.”

“There are so many times [when] Santi has to take his life into his own hands. And I think a lot of people my age understand the feeling, more than we’re given credit for.”

Peter Dager

Part of achieving that dynamic onscreen was ensuring he held himself to the same standard as his co-stars once the cameras stopped rolling. Once again mirroring their onscreen characters, Dager took notes from Wilson’s veteran work ethic. “Maybe it sounds funny because it’s a feel-good comedy, but I really wanted to take care of the character and honour my interpretation of him. I would journal as Santi. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. I didn’t go out. […] It was such a friendly vibe on set. Everyone was so nice. But they’re also such professionals, so I made sure I gave it everything I had.”

That effort included countless hours spent on the course practicing his swing, hoping to make the on-course aspects of the show as believable as possible. “It’s a fine line with sports in movies and [TV], you know? I remember watching Zac Efron in High School Musical and he was always playing basketball. You’re watching it and thinking, ‘C’mon, that guy doesn’t play ball,’ ” he laughs. In a similar vein, Dager also wanted to keep it real in terms of representing a character of his own generation.

“Santi is really such a blessing to play because I see so much TV nowadays where my generation, Gen Z, get pulled into these really limited stereotypes,” he says. “But Santi is ambitious and he’s failing but he’s resilient. It’s three-dimensional and, honestly, […] that’s what golf is such a good metaphor for, too. So, I’m really excited for people my age to see a character that transcends the stereotypes of our generation. There are so many times [when] Santi has to take his life into his own hands. And I think a lot of people my age understand the feeling, more than we’re given credit for.”

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