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“It’s hard to explain.” That’s the common response the Stone family gives when asked about Cal Stone’s vastly different appearance in Manifest Season 4 Part 1. At the end of season 3, the show recast Cal, formerly played by young Jack Messina, to reflect the character’s five-year age jump. Now, the new Cal, Ty Doran, is here to stay in Manifest Season 4. Here’s more on Ty Doran and his career, plus how his age compares to Cal’s.
Why was Cal Stone recast on ‘Manifest’?
As fans may recall, in the season 3 finale of Manifest, 12-year-old(ish) Cal (Messina) touched Flight 828’s tailfin at the Eureka lab. A glow lit up the room when he connected with the fin, and Cal vanished. Ben Stone (Josh Dallas) and Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) thought Cal would come back if they returned the tailfin to the ocean where it was found. And he did come back — sort of.
The final moments of the finale showed Cal, now an older teenager (Doran), at his dying mother Grace’s (Athena Karkanis) side. At the time, no one knew where he disappeared to or the reason for his sudden aging. In season 4, Cal aims to find answers.
Who is the new Cal on ‘Manifest’? A closer look at Ty Doran
So, who is the actor behind the new Cal? Ty Doran is having his big break in Manifest Season 4, but he has a few other notable acting credits, as well. According to IMDb, Doran guest-starred in single episodes of popular shows like The Blacklist, Chicago Fire, Bull, and Queen Sugar. Doran also had longer appearances in American Crime and All Night. Finally, Doran voice acted in the English version of the Eternal Quon series. In addition to TV work, he also has experience in theater.
Doran had a rollercoaster experience with Manifest. He filmed his season 3 episode in one day with the cast and loved the idea of working in New York City. Then, NBC canceled Manifest, and Doran was prepared to move on — until Netflix picked it up.
“If I had known what I was missing when we got canceled, I would’ve been much more upset,” he shared with People. “The friendships and relationships that I’ve made over the course of this past year and getting to be in [N.Y.C.] have been incredible. It is changed me as a person and as an actor. I don’t know what I would’ve done [if the show got canceled]. All I can do is say thank you to the fans that made it possible for me to come back and get to work with such lovely people.”
Ty Doran age and how it compares to Cal Stone in ‘Manifest’ Season 4 Part 1
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Ty Doran was born on Oct. 29, 1997, making him 25 years old in 2022. His character, however, is still a bit younger. Cal aged five years in season 3, making him 17 or 18 years old — the same age as his twin sister, Olive Stone (Luna Blaise). He’s the age that he would have been if Flight 828 had never disappeared. Now, Manifest Season 4 picks up with a two-year time jump, making Cal around 19 or 20 years old today.
Cal might look older physically, but he missed out on five years of mental aging and experience. So, he isn’t quite as mature as he should be in season 4.
“He’s in this older body but has not matured to the level that would be apropos of his stature now, I guess,” Doran told Entertainment Weekly. “So it has been weird to … He’s like a little kid.”
Still, Cal does plenty of growing up throughout season 4.
“He’s so angsty, he’s got so many daddy issues, and he wants to help so bad. It’s been interesting,” Doran added. “Where he begins and where he ends are two very different places, and I think he really grows up over the course of this season.”
Manifest Season 4 Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
