FOR MANY WRITERS, a key piece of advice that’s tossed around when creating a new project is to write something you know.
Jason Keller, creator of the new Apple TV+ series Stick, did just that.
“When I thought about this show, I knew I wanted it to be in Middle America,” Keller says. “I hope there’s a warmth to this show and the characters and dynamic that feels very midwestern and Indiana. It was just easy for me to access those places with them set in my hometown.”
Despite his success and a playwright and screenwriter, Keller’s says his roots are still firmly rooted in the Hoosier state.
“I have deep roots in Indiana,” Keller says. “My entire family is from Indianapolis, Speedway, all around central Indiana. It’s my hometown, and I love Indiana. I’m still close to people from back in Indiana, and I’m proud to be a Hoosier.”
According to a press release from Apple, Stick stars Owen Wilson as Pryce Cahill, 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 hedges his bets, and future, entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom named Santi (Peter Dager).
One of the inspirations for Stick came from Keller’s desire to explore the mindset of an elite golfer, their mental perspective, and what it takes to play at a high level.
While still new to the game, Keller shares that some of his formative years as a teenager were spent on a golf course—in a manner of speaking.
“The first thing that pops to mind is Crooked Stick Golf Course. My best friend in the world from high school lived off of that golf course,” he says. “I wasn’t a golfer in high school, but on long, Indiana summer nights, we would steal his dad’s beer with friends and go drink on that golf course.”
While still green to the sport, Keller recognizes the solitude it brings.
“There’s an element to golf that’s very singular. You’re out there alone with your own thoughts, and from a mindset perspective, it’s unique that way,” he says.
Keller penned his first TV movie in 2002 before creating vehicles featuring the likes of Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, and Gerard Butler. He wrote 2019’s award-winning car racing drama Ford v Ferrari, starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
Stick, however, is his first time writing for television, something that he deems “a different beast” because of its more collaborative nature.
His newest work stars Owen Wilson, Marc Maron, and Judy Greer. Even with over 20 years in the business, Keller isn’t soon to tire of seeing Hollywood’s greatest names bring his characters to life.
“I was fans of all of those actors before I knew them, and to have the good fortune of having them come in, take scenes that I’ve written, and breathe life into them—every time it’s scary, wonderful, and it’s exciting,” he says.
Stick is streaming now on Apple TV+.
