Stick is the new Apple TV+ comedy that everyone is soon going to be talking about, with Owen Wilson, Marc Maron, and Judy Greer leading a spitfire ensemble in a round of golf. But it’s a newcomer to the limelight, Peter Dager, who really stands out as the show’s star.

In the series, former pro-golfer Pryce Cahill (Wilson) stumbles upon Santiago “Santi” Wheeler (Dager), a smart-ass teenager who has an uncanny ability to hit a golf ball, and sees potential in a way that he hasn’t in a while. Realizing he might be looking at the sport’s next big thing, Pryce offers to take Santi under his wing, which the teen could not be less interested in.

Thankfully, a bit of sweet talking and a promise to pay his mom (Mariana Treviño) $100,000 to get Santi to the big leagues — yes, that’s right, Pryce is paying her to get him to play — the group heads out on the road and starts taking on invitationals and competitions. Along the way, they pick up strays in the form of Zero (Lilli Kay), an unfiltered server who winds up as Santi’s caddy, and Mitts (Marc Maron), Pryce’s own former caddy who offers up his RV as the gang’s mode of transportation.

While the entire cast works together to make the show a surprisingly fun and heartfelt series that everyone should be watching, we can’t help but feel like Dager is the standout and may just be — like the character he plays in Stick — the next big thing in his chosen profession.

So where did this kid come from? And has the world seen him in anything before? Here’s everything you need to know about Peter Dager, who is bound to steal your heart in Stick.

Who Is Peter Dager? Meet Santiago “Santi” Wheeler in Stick

While Dager is relatively unknown in Hollywood, Stick certainly isn’t his first project. At just 22, the young actor has appeared in a handful of TV shows and movies, including one of the Insidious films alongside Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson. The 2023 sequel, The Red Door, features Dager as “Nick the Dick,” a friend of Chris (Sinclair Daniel) and Dalton (Ty Simpkins). In the scary movie, Dager’s character even tries to revive Chris after her character is attacked by the demon that haunts the franchise.

Prior to that, Dager, a Miami native, appeared in 13 episodes of Univisión’s Demente Criminal, playing Miguelito Morand, according to IMDB. Dager also worked on Nickelodeon’s Wits Academy, playing Harris, a young wizard in training. The show also starred Outer Banks‘ Julia Antonelli and recent Pulse star Daniela Nieves.

In 2022, the young actor also appeared on the screen with Jordana Brewster, Reid Scott, and Adam Pally in Who Invited Charlie?, a comedy about an NYC family “hiding out in the Hamptons” during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In that movie, Dager played Max, the anxiety-ridden son of Brewster and Scott’s characters. The role was larger than his previous projects and may have been the job that helped him land Insidious: The Red Door.

That leads us to today, where Dager is leading the cast alongside Wilson. In the show, the 22-year-old has the wonderful burden of playing someone with a gift for golf, possibly even the next Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy. The role may have been worth the wait, but it was anything but easy to obtain. According to an interview Dager did with The Boston Herald, he went through six auditions and two trips from New York to Los Angeles before he booked the gig.

It all paid off in the end, however, as the show, as well as his performance, are now receiving rave reviews. In fact, we’re calling it a summer must-watch! Dreams really do come true with hard work and persistence.

The first two episodes of Stick are currently streaming on Apple TV+.