Owen Wilson responds to series being compared to ‘one of TV’s biggest shows ever’

Living up to the reputation of one of the biggest shows ever to be released on TV is no mean feat.

But that’s the task that lies ahead for Apple TV Plus’ latest comedy Stick, which people immediately started comparing to the global hit Ted Lasso as soon as a trailer was released.

Starring and executive produced by Owen Wilson, the newly-launched series follows former pro golfer Pryce Cahill (played by the Wedding Crashers star), who spots greatness in wonderkid Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) and decides to take him under his wing.

It’s giving Happy Gilmore merged with a dash of Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso, so when Metro sat down for an exclusive chat with Owen and his co-star Judy Greer, we had to find out what they thought of the comparisons.

Having personally spent many hours of my childhood watching Adam Sandler spark chaos on the golf course, and then years later found myself crying over a fictional football team, Stick felt like everything I could want in a comfort watch by seemingly combining the two.

‘I love the show,’ Owen, 56, said when asked how he feels about Stick being compared to Ted Lasso, which was reported to have scored 16.9 billion minutes viewed in 2023.

‘So, of course, you would hope that the show could connect with people in that way.’

The Loki star continued: ‘What made me like that show, there was this kindness, and obviously this humour to it, that just made it really unusual. I do think, with our show Stick, there’s funny stuff, and there’s also heart and some emotion. I think there’s a kindness to it that is nice in these times.’

Owen is joined in Stick by What Women Want and 13 Going On 30 actress Judy, who plays Pryce’s ex-wife Amber-Linn, who remains a crucial part of his life despite their separation.

Judy, 49, agreed with the idea that watching Stick gives viewers a sense of nostalgia, as it reminds them of other ‘underdog stories’, like the 2005 sports comedy Bad News Bears.

‘I’m always happy to be compared to super popular, successful TV shows and movies. So I’m all for it, but I do think that there is something timeless about the story of Stick,’ she shared.

‘That is probably why people are finding those comparisons easy to make. Because there is something like the underdog, about recognising young talent, about redemption, about relationships, about choosing a family, as opposed to getting handed a family. And then everyone loves a good road trip comedy. So there’s that sprinkled on top.’

As you might expect from a sporting underdog story, Stick is a fun and light-hearted watch, but it also comes with buckets of emotion that’ll tug on the heartstrings.

One aspect of filming Stick that hit Owen the hardest was the scenes that he shared with Judy, when her character Amber-Linn decides to support her ex-husband Pryce by investing in his new venture.

‘In my life, I’ve benefited so much from people believing in me and giving me a chance. So the scenes with Judy, believing in me enough to put money into this crazy idea I have, that’s a moving thing,’ he said.

Judy, on the other hand, found herself stirred by a scene that she wasn’t even a part of when Pryce hears Santi hit a golf ball for the first time in the opening episode, and is blown away.

Before speaking to Owen and Judy, I was astonished when I realised that I’d never seen them together in a project… the exception being when they both starred in the 2010 film Marmaduke.

However, Owen was voicing the titular animated dog, so they didn’t get the chance to share the screen.

‘It’s like when people ask me about Paul Newman in Cars. Well, he wasn’t ever there,’ Owen said, comparing Marmaduke to the 2006 Pixar movie where he voiced the racecar Lightning McQueen opposite Paul Newman as Doc Hudson.

‘Getting to work in real life together, it was just very easy,’ he said of working with Judy.

‘We just hit it off. Sometimes somebody has a different process than you have, or the way they’re saying it, that’s not the way I heard it in my head. But in my head, every time I would hear Judy, it was like, yeah, that’s better than I heard. That’s good, I can do something with that. So it was just nice. It was easy,’ he outlined.

Apple TV Plus appears to be playing the long game with Stick (pun intended), releasing the first three episodes on the premiere date, before the following instalments come out weekly.

Chances are that word might spread over the next few weeks as more and more people find out about the golf comedy and recommend it to their friends, and perhaps start pondering whether it could return for a second season.

‘You never know,’ Owen remarked over the possibility of a season two, suggesting Australia and the UK as possible filming locations in the future.

Given he’s also an executive producer on the project, perhaps he’ll have the sway to make it happen.

Stick is streaming on Apple TV Plus, with the first three episodes available to watch now ahead of weekly episode releases.

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