That sense of progression carried into one of his most recognisable roles, Netflix ice-skating drama Finding Her Edge that brought together both his athletic background and his acting. On paper, it might have seemed like a natural fit, but in reality, it came with its own challenges. “The skates are completely different,” he explains, breaking down the technical differences between hockey and figure skating. “Hockey blades are rounded… you’re low and forward. Figure skating - you’re upright.” Years of muscle memory had to be undone, a task that proved more difficult than expected. “I really struggled with being too low and forward,” he admits, describing the early stages of training.

Training included sessions with an ex-Olympian and an intense filming schedule that doubled as practice. “They just kept getting us on the ice whenever we had time… and we slowly got better and better.” Season two, he hints, will bring even more growth. “We’ll have more time to really hone in on our skills.”

Every actor remembers the call, and Cale’s came in an unlikely setting. “I was actually at the doctor’s office,” he laughs. “I had the blood pressure thing on, and my agent called me. My heart rate went through the roof… and the girl’s like, ‘You have high blood pressure.’ And I’m like, no, no, I’m just really excited.”

“This is the stuff that you want as an actor… to be told you’re going to be a lead in something. Someone’s taking a risk on you.”

With that role came a new level of visibility, and with it, a different kind of pressure. For many, that shift can feel overwhelming, but Cale approaches it with a clear sense of distance. “It’s not real until you look at it,” he says, referring to reviews, social media, and public reaction. By choosing not to engage too deeply with that side of things, he’s been able to maintain a sense of balance. At one point, he even stepped away from social media entirely. “I found it a little overstimulating,” he explains, framing it less as a rejection and more as a necessary adjustment.

What keeps him grounded, more than anything, is the consistency of the people around him. His experience on set, in particular, seems to have reinforced that. “We built a small family together,” he says, reflecting on the relationships formed during filming. It wasn’t something he expected, but it’s become one of the most meaningful parts of the experience. That sense of connection mirrors his life off-set, where his family plays a central role. “My three older brothers, they’re my best friends,” he says, before speaking about his parents’ long-standing relationship with a kind of quiet admiration.

When asked what brings him joy, his answer is immediate: family. But beyond that, there’s one thing that consistently resets him. “Golf,” he says. “If I’m not acting, I’m golfing. You’re competitive with yourself,” he explains. “You hit a bad shot, you can’t get angry. It’s always about the next shot. You can’t take that shot back,” he adds. “But if you keep thinking about it, you’re just going to hit another bad one.”

There’s a quiet philosophy in that and one that mirrors his approach to acting, auditions, and setbacks alike.

With a second season confirmed and new projects already under his belt, including a darker, more intense thriller, Cale is stepping into a broader range of roles.

“It was nice to step back a little on this one,” he says of his latest project. “Just watch people and really soak it in.”

For now, the goal is simple. “I just want to keep working,” he says. “Work with great people… and keep getting better.” Then, almost instinctively, he grounds it again: “I’m just a guy.”

And maybe that’s exactly why his trajectory feels anything but ordinary.

Photographer Pietro Groff @pietro.groff

Styling Jessica Iorio represented by W ARTISTS @iorio_jessica @w_artist_mgmt

Grooming Danilo Ferrigno represented by W-M Management @daniloferrigno_ @wmmanagement

Agent Ilana Taub @ilanared

Fashion Assistant Giorgia Grasso @giooiggr