Max Homa says he usually isn’t the starstruck type, meeting so many athletes from other sports and celebrities thanks to his day job.
But then there was Owen Wilson.
“I don’t know how you could be 34 years old and not be a humongous Owen Wilson fan,” Homa told Sports Illustrated in advance of his appearance alongside the actor in the newest episode of the Apple TV+ golf comedy Stick, dropping Wednesday. “It was truly surreal to be around him … you have almost this attachment because you grew up with them in a weird way. That’s how it felt with someone like Owen Wilson.
“Just like you would say, your 15-year-old self would never believe you actually got to meet that person.”
Homa spent a day on set last summer in Vancouver for a cameo appearance as one of several PGA Tour stars in the hit show. In his episode, Homa and Wyndham Clark have an interaction with Wilson’s character Pryce Cahill and Santi Wheeler (played by Peter Dager), a young phenom that Cahill—himself a former multiple PGA Tour winner—takes under his wing and out on the road to tournaments.
Homa got the part thanks to a longtime friendship with Hollywood executive Ben Silverman. Homa stayed in Silverman’s house years ago during the Genesis Invitational, and when the executive signed on to help produce Stick he reached out to the six-time PGA Tour winner.
Taking the gig was a “no-brainer,” Homa says, with the only tough part being scheduling in the heart of the pro golf season.
And once on the set, Homa learned more about what a fanatical golfer Wilson has become. In downtime during shooting, all the actor wanted to do was pick the pros’ brains about the game.
“We chatted a bit about the mental game and his growing affliction for the game,” says Homa, who calls Wedding Crashers his favorite Wilson movie. “He didn’t grow up doing it but you can tell he has the bug, which I always find the coolest thing ever.”
The professional pointers went both ways, with Wilson coaching Homa and Clark through lines for their scene.
“I don’t think either of us are exactly Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt, George Clooney at this,” Homa says. “I’m sure Dub [Clark] would say he’s George Clooney, because he’s the handsome one, but I don’t think either of us are looking for an award soon.”
Homa is playing this week at the British Open, coming off his best finish of the year with a T5 two weeks ago at the John Deere Classic. But some renewed confidence on the course isn’t likely to translate to confidence in watching himself on TV.
“I’m going to feel awkward regardless,” he says, laughing.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Truly Surreal’: Max Homa Makes Acting Debut Alongside Owen Wilson in ‘Stick’ .
