
Back to All News
Meet the Actor Playing Sex Education's' New Non-Binary Character Cal
Netflix Staff
Entertainment
15 September 2021
GlobalUnited Kingdom (Great Britain)
Three seasons in, and Sex Education is still finding new terrain to explore. This year, that includes introducing a non-binary student, Cal. In the writers' room, we discussed what parts of the LGBTQ spectrum we hadn't addressed in the show yet, and Cal's character was a natural extension of that discussion, says series creator Laurie Nunn. We knew they'd bring a new perspective to the show, and we worked very closely with non-binary consultants to make sure we were approaching that narrative with authenticity.
That included casting a non-binary actor, newcomer Dua Saleh, in the role. Ahead of the series' return on September 17, we spoke with Saleh about being cast in the drama, finding Cal's specific sense of style and what they hope viewers take away from this season.
How did you end up taking on this new role? Were you a big fan of the first two seasons of Sex Education?
I found out about the show through friends. I hadnt watched it previously because I thought it was for teenagers, but when the show reached out to me about casting, I watched all of it. I can honestly say that its one of the best shows Ive ever watched. Sex Education has some of the most thoughtful, thought-provoking, funny, and playful work. I auditioned for Cal and sent in a tape, then I did a chemistry read with Kedar Williams-Stirling, who plays Jackson. When I found out I got the role, I freaked out, obviously. It's changed my life and challenged me. This is my first major acting role. I'm a musician and I was making music way before acting came along. I've learned a lot through this experience and am so thankful.
How would you describe your character, and what about them appealed to you as an actor?
Cal is a non-binary student at Moordale who's very laidback. Theyre a skater, a stoner, a lover; theyre very free-spirited. They bring me a lot of joy. I think theyre a very well-thought-out character in the way that they talk to people, the way that they approach challenges, the way that they always meet people with softness. I think theyre also just a teenager trying to figure things out. I think the biggest appeal in playing Cal was that their journey isn't all about trauma. That's not something that a lot of non-binary people can say about the characters they're given the opportunity to play. I had a lot of conversations with Laurie Nunn, with the writers, with the non-binary consultants they hired, about how to portray a non-binary person in the best way possible. I felt really held throughout that entire process, and everyone was attentive to my needs and level of comfort.
Cal isn't the only non-binary student at Moordale who we meet this season, correct?A remarkable thing that they did this season was include another non-binary character named Layla. We see the differences between Cal and Layla, in their personalities and their journeys with their identities. We see how they each deal with binding, dealing with school, navigating conflicts - they're very different. I think its beautiful that they portrayed non-binary characters in a way that shows they're not a monolith.
Can you talk a bit about Cal's costuming and overall look this season? What does it visually communicate about them?
The way that Cal dressed was very important, and the creative team was very particular about the way that they depicted Cal. Their hair is braided intricately in a way that's true to Cals gender fluidity. And they styled Cal in baggier, more free-form clothing, comfortable clothing. They were always thinking about gender, and were intentional about how to allow Cal to feel more free and liberated. I think they did a remarkable job.
How do you hope fans will feel at the end of this season?
I want people to feel validated. Cal is a non-binary, Black character, and I want people to think, "Oh, my gosh, I can believe Ive seen myself on this series. I can believe Ive seen myself represented in mainstream media." That's what I want the most.
Sex Education Season 3 debuts September 17 on Netflix.
North America Stories
21/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission by a 3-0 vote adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to advance Congress's mandate to clear a minim...
21/11/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. Charter's Spectrum has expanded the devices that can offer 4K content on the Spectrum TV app to compatible Apple TV 4K and Roku devices....
21/11/2025
NAPERVILLE, Ill. Media industry employers are continuing their multiyear trend of increasing salaries for all worker segments but lag general industry raises, s...
21/11/2025
WASHINGTON The National Association of Broadcasters said it is accepting nominations for the 2026 NAB Technology Awards, honors that recognize excellence in bro...
21/11/2025
American Amplifier Technologies has released a vector network analysis module....
21/11/2025
The Best Movie Musicals on Every Streaming Platform From Wicked to The Sound of Music, heres where to stream all the classic movie musicals and recent hits on...
20/11/2025
MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: NBC's New Three-Year Deal Covers Sunday Night Bas...
20/11/2025
MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: New Deal Will Bring 30 National Games to ESPN's Li...
20/11/2025
MLB Media-Rights Shakeup: Netflix Lands Opening Night, Home Run Derby, Field of ...
20/11/2025
MLB Media-Rights Shakeup Overview: ESPN, NBCU, Netflix Ink Three-Year DealsESPN gets new 30-game package, MLB.TV; NBC extends Sunday nights; Netflix adds tentpo...
20/11/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Henry Thuss, Indiana UniversityThe Southern California product has his goals set on the front benchBy Brandon Costa, Director of Digital ...
20/11/2025
Done+Dusted's Guy Carrington on Creating the Spectacular League of Legends W...
20/11/2025
FIA Extreme H World Cup Host Broadcaster Aurora Goes Inside the Production of th...
20/11/2025
Platinum White Paper: Amagi Utilizes Cloud Production for Sports Events - Multi-...
20/11/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Marc Herklotz, Steady Hand Behind the Sce...
20/11/2025
NFL Deep Dive: How 32 Cameras at Each Stadium Drive Virtual Measurement, Boundar...
20/11/2025
Charlie Shackleton attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Zodiac K...
20/11/2025
L3Harris has achieved NSA Cybersecurity Directorate certification for its KSV-650 space hub end cryptographic unit, ensuring secure, adaptable communications fo...
20/11/2025
L3Harris is strengthening its long-term partnership with Poland through the opening of a new facility in Warsaw to serve as a central business hub for regional ...
20/11/2025
CINCINNATI Oklahoma Community Television (OCT) has selected GatesAir and Triveni Digital as key technology partners in an ATSC 3.0 deployment that establishes a...
20/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has opened a wide-ranging inquiry into the relations between broadcast networks and their affiliates that could...
20/11/2025
NEW YORK Ad spend in the creator economy has more than doubled since 2021 from $13.9B to $29.5B in 2024 and that amount is projected to reach $37 billion in 202...
20/11/2025
Graduate Spotlight: Krysta Mirsik DePuy The educator from Hackettstown, New Jersey, shares how it took her 11 years to find the right graduate program for her...
20/11/2025
LONDON The winners of the Rise Awards 2025, which recognize women and companies whose achievements have stood out in the media technology industry, have been an...
20/11/2025
SANTA MONICA & NEW YORK Lionsgate's Worldwide Television Distribution Group and Debmar-Mercury have launched MovieSphere Gold in more than 30 million homes....
20/11/2025
ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has introduced its four-channel HelixNet beltpack, a next-generation advancement of its widely used two-channel model, and anticipates...
20/11/2025
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. Streaming technology and services provider Kiswe has launched Kiswe Core, a next-generation cloud-based platform designed to simplify the s...
20/11/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Dolby Laboratories has signed on as an official signature partner of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) for the 2026 Super Bowl and the we...
20/11/2025
STUTTGART, Germany 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has announced that the Canadian multiservice operator Telus has launched its Telus TV+ entertainment platform on Sam...
20/11/2025
Major League Baseball has announced deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix covering 2026-2028 that make ESPN the exclusive distributor for MLB.TV, put regula...
20/11/2025
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and ...
20/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Celebrates the Launch of Troll 2 With a Spectacular Sh...
20/11/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on how developers, 3D practitioners and enterprises can transform their workflows u...
20/11/2025
The NVIDIA Blackwell RTX upgrade is nearing the finish line, letting GeForce NOW Ultimate members across the globe experience true next-generation cloud gaming ...
20/11/2025
Tanya Berger-Wolf's first computational biology project started as a bet wit...
19/11/2025
Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...
19/11/2025
The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...
19/11/2025
One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...
19/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...
19/11/2025
Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
Brighton & Hove Albion'...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...
19/11/2025
MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...
19/11/2025
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...
19/11/2025
Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...
19/11/2025
Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...
19/11/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
19/11/2025
October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...