If you watch Euphoria, then you know that Eric Dane (who plays Cal) and his son, Nate (played by Jacob Elordi) do not get along.
During season 2, episode 3, fans got to see Cal’s backstory and understand why he doesn’t see eye to eye with his son. It turns out that Cal and his pal Derek actually had feelings for each other while growing up, but when Cal’s girlfriend, Marsha, gets pregnant, he has to hide his true self and start a family.
Nate is also struggling with anger issues — so much so, after Fezco (Angus Cloud) beat him up at a New Year’s Eve party, Cal does everything to shield his son from getting into any more trouble.
“I think Cal sees a lot of himself and his son and that scares him. I think he resents Nate a bit because Nate has a shot to do what Cal could never do, which is live the life that he always imagined he would live,” the Grey’s Anatomy star told Entertainment Tonight, adding that his character and Nate “have a funny way of showing each other how much they truly love each other and how much they have in common.”
“I do think he’s wildly protective of his son,” he added. “It’s his family. It’s the least he can do. It’s someplace he can take action and become a good parent without having to go through the trials and tribulations of owning that parenthood and being that paternal father figure.”
In the latest episode of the HBO Max hit series, Cal goes to a gay bar but gets kicked out, leaving him with his own thoughts, which cause him to spiral out of control.
As for what happens next, the hunk said, “I would like to say there’s resolution between him and Nate. I think that his biggest regret is that he failed miserably with his son. I do think Cal’s going to get the opportunity to become a better parent. And I think that’s what Nate wants. He wants a father.”
Even though Dane’s character has his slew of issues, the actor loves taking on the challenging role.
“The freedom I get with this character is unparalleled with any other job I’ve had,” he noted. “It’s been fun to create an entirely new character. You know, Cal was very contained, very controlled last season. And this year, he gets to cut loose a little bit. And that’s fun to play.”
