By Melissa Vaupel
On Monday March 30th 2026, Apple TV+ and the Television Academy hosted a vibrant STICK FYC (For Your Consideration) event, welcoming Emmy voters, press, and industry insiders for a night that included a red carpet, screening, Q&A, and reception. The event offered a closer look at the creative forces behind the series, with the cast and creators reflecting on the journey of bringing the story to life—and what lies ahead.
At the center of the conversation was creator Jason Keller, who spoke candidly about the origins of the show and the character that first drew him in. Keller shared that he was initially “interested in exploring the character Pryce Cahill,” adding that he became increasingly “intrigued with his story” as the project developed.
For Keller, the core of the series lies in a very specific kind of character study. “I was mostly intrigued in middle-aged failure,” he explained. “Interested in a character who was in the middle of his life who had failed at the thing he was gifted with as a young man. What do you do when you wake up and realize you have squandered the talents you were given?”
That perspective shaped the emotional backbone of the series and became even more defined once Owen Wilson joined the project. “Owen came into it later on, but as soon as he came on board, it was all his,” Keller said. “I could no longer write the dialogue without thinking of Owen every minute. When he became the guy, that is all I saw.”
Season two, Keller teased, will continue to build on those dynamics—particularly through Pryce’s evolving relationship with Saanti. “In season 2 we can see that Pryce will play some golf, and he and Saanti will find themselves playing some golf against each other,” he noted.
Writer and executive producer Christopher Moynihan reflected on how his collaboration with Keller began, pointing to their long-standing friendship as the foundation of the partnership. “Jason Keller and I are friends, and we talked about it years ago,” Moynihan said, explaining that when Keller began expanding the project, “he brought me into this, and we have worked on it together ever since.”
For Moynihan, one of the most rewarding aspects of working on the series has been the collaborative environment in the writers’ room. “Very rewarding process to sit in the writers’ room with people you love,” he shared. “You come up with an idea on paper, and then you get to go and do it.”
He pointed to one of the show’s most ambitious moments as a standout example. “Like end of season 1, having 1,000 extras singing ‘Cecilia’ while Saanti is hovering over a ball is as exciting as it gets, when you as a collective see your idea come to fruition.”
While the show revolves around golf, not everyone came into the project with experience in the sport. Owen Wilson admitted that although he “did not play golf” going into the series, he had “been around it because his dad was a good golfer and his brothers played.” He added that he “always wanted to learn it so he could play with them and beat them,” and has since taken lessons—joking that he had even played the morning of the event.
When it comes to friendly competition among the cast, Wilson was confident. He acknowledged that Peter Dager “has the best-looking swing,” but added that he still thinks he would win, especially because he has “always been really good at putting, especially since he did putting contests with his dad.”
Dager, who plays Saanti, had a very different introduction to the sport. He shared that he had “minimal knowledge of golf going into this” and had only gone to the driving range once, where “the results were depressing.” Not wanting to get too invested during the audition process, he held back from practicing, explaining that he “didn’t want to get his hopes up and love the game and not get the part.”
Once he landed the role, however, that changed completely. “Once I got the part, it was training nonstop, and I fell in love with the game,” he said. Much of that work translated directly to the screen, with Dager performing most of his own swings. “Most of the swings are mine, but at the beginning there are some double swings, especially with the driver, because it was the hardest club to hit.”
Reflecting on what he enjoys most about golf now, Dager described it as “failing over and over and having some success, being able to keep refining the game.” Looking ahead, he hinted at deeper character development in season two. “We can expect change and evolution from his character… there is a possibility for change and arc and depth and conflict, reinventing himself,” he said, adding that “Saanti is very young, and we can now grow with him and watch him become an adult.”
For Lily Kay, who plays Zero, the emotional connections between characters are what stand out most. She shared that she “treasures the tiny moments between Saanti and Zero,” while also recalling the scale of filming the finale. “My favorite moment was shooting with 1,000 extras for the epic putt he did in the end.”
Like many of her co-stars, Kay also came into the series without much knowledge of golf but has embraced the experience. Her advice? “My number one golf tip is to relax and to have fun and enjoy.” When asked who might win in a cast match, she predicted that “Peter would win.”
Kay also spoke about what drew her to her character. “I fell in love immediately reading about her,” noting that Zero “has a very strong sense of self even at a young age and is unapologetically herself,” adding that she “aspires to be like that too, and it was fun to play.”
Mariana Treviño highlighted the show’s deeper thematic layers, describing it as “a Russian doll—every moment had a core.” She emphasized the idea of connection, saying it’s about “people from different places coming together and sitting together and bonding.”
One of her favorite scenes takes place in the RV, which she described as “their first moment of connection—the idea of people coming together and traveling.” She also recalled a more playful moment, mentioning “the fun scene when I locked him under the bed.”
Treviño spoke about the unique filming experiences as well, including a memorable scene in a remote location. “Sitting on the little dock in the middle of nowhere was something I had never experienced before,” she said, adding that “being in the water for real was fun too.”
Looking ahead, she shared that “in season 2, Elena’s skills will be put to the test, and it will be an interesting voyage for her,” both professionally and personally.
Meanwhile, Marc Maron brought his signature humor to the carpet, revealing that he “did not play any golf prior to the show” and “still does not play golf.” He joked, “at this age it would take too much patience to get good enough to even make it onto the cart,” though he added, “I don’t mind being around it.”
Maron pointed to one of his favorite moments as “when Owen and I had a fight and confronted each other, dealing with different sadnesses,” highlighting the emotional depth of the series. As for what’s next, he shared that his character “softened a bit, and the relationship with Elena is at the core of it,” adding that “there is a bit more of a love story coming in season 2.”
As the evening wrapped, the excitement around STICK was clear. From its exploration of failure and reinvention to its emphasis on connection and growth, the series continues to strike a chord with audiences. With season two set to expand both the narrative and the characters, the creative team made it evident that there is much more story left to tell.
“STICK Season 1” is streaming on AppleTV and is up for consideration for Emmy voters.