Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Meet the Actor Playing Sex Education's' New Non-Binary Character Cal

15/09/2021

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.
LINK: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/meet-the-actor-playing-sex-education...
See more stories from netflix

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

06/04/2026

Fab Five' Reunion Drives TNT and CBS's Experimental Final Four Altcast Built on REMI Workflow

Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...

06/04/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Optikka CEO Daniel Evans on Scaling Sports Content with Programmatic Graphics

From high school sports all the way up to the major leagues, building high-quali...

06/04/2026

Quickplay and TwelveLabs Join AWS Business Outcomes Xcelerator Program

Quickplay, an AI company for the media and entertainment industry, has been accepted into the Advanced tier of the TwelveLabs Ecosystem Partner Program. Quickpl...

06/04/2026

Grass Valley Launches Future Playmakers Program for Students in Sports Production and Media Technology

Grass Valley has announced the Future Playmakers Program, a global initiative to...

06/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Raasean Robinson, Gerente de Posproduccin y Operaciones de Estudio, FOX Deportes

El l der de operaciones impulsa la producci n en estudio mientras encuentra insp...

06/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Raasean Robinson, Manager, Post Production and Studio Operations, FOX Deportes

The ops leader helps lead the charge in studio for the Spanish-language broadcas...

06/04/2026

Behind The Mic: SiriusXM Shares 2026 Masters Broadcast Team; ESPN to Produce Over 140+ Hours of Masters Live Coverage

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

06/04/2026

NHL Opens Innovation Lab in Partnership with Verizon, New Jersey Devils

The National Hockey League (NHL), in partnership with Verizon and the New Jersey Devils, today announced the opening of the NHL Innovation Lab powered by Verizo...

06/04/2026

ESPN+ To Stream Inaugural Rock League Curling Season

Rock League, a new professional curling league, has announced that ESPN+ will stream its inaugural 2026 season for fans in the United States. The first Rock Lea...

06/04/2026

ASG Appoints Andrea Cummis as VP of Systems Design and Engineering

Advanced Systems Group has announced the appointment of Andrea (Andy) Cummis as Vice President of Systems Design and Engineering. In this role, she will lead de...

06/04/2026

Source Media Group Launches Source Golf, a Creator-Driven YouTube Network Targeting Next-Gen Fans

Backed by Bolt Ventures, the venture brings Bryson DeChambeau, Grant Horvat, and...

06/04/2026

How the NHL's Innovation Lab Will Take Broadcast, Fan, and Team Tech to New Heights

With this environment we can start that collaboration even earlier because we ca...

06/04/2026

K-Pop Artist ENHYPEN Host The Blood Diary,' a New Video Podcast Series From HYBE

Like the immortal lives of vampires, some stories never really end. That's t...

06/04/2026

From Audio to IRL: How Let's Get Haunted' Is Building Community With Spotify RADAR

As podcasting continues to evolve, growth increasingly means building beyond aud...

06/04/2026

FSK Audio update Bark24 Dyn

Multiband dynamics plug-in enhanced California-based developer FSK Audio have released a significant update for their innovative multiband dynamics processo...

06/04/2026

IK Multimedia introduce ToneNET Preset Sharing

Share official & user-created full-rig presets IK Multimedia's latest TONEX update makes it possible for users of the popular amp and effects modelling ...

06/04/2026

Baseball 2026: More AI, Better Viewing Choices

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/04/2026

JB&A Announces Details for its Pre-NAB 2026 Event

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/04/2026

Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026

Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Dalet, a leading technology and...

06/04/2026

OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show's West Hall

OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show...

06/04/2026

Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026

Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Yet further creative potential unleashed through innovation in ...

06/04/2026

Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026

Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 6, 2026 0 Comments Experience Autoscript Voice, PTZ prom...

06/04/2026

Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Show 2026

Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Sho...

06/04/2026

Re-Architectured PCC Software Streamlines and Enhances the Full High-Speed Imaging Workflow

Wayne, N.J., April 6th, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the release of PCC 4...

06/04/2026

Tribeca Studios And Lilly Announce Winners Of Inaugural Vital Stories Filmmaker Program

April 6th, 2026 TRIBECA STUDIOS AND LILLY ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF INAUGURAL VITAL...

06/04/2026

Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App for Games, New Shows & Returning Favorites

Back to All News Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App ...

05/04/2026

Latest SoundBridge update now live

Tackles all reported bugs! SoundBridge have just announced the launch of a new update that introduces a couple of minor changes to their remote collaboratio...

04/04/2026

Don't Be Lame: Arizona Men's Basketball Social Team Aims To Catch the Attention of Wildcats Fans

The University of Arizona's Men's Basketball team has only loss twice th...

04/04/2026

HDR Makes Its Men's Final Four Debut as CBS Sports and TNT Sports Collaborate on New Camera Tools and an IP-Powered Compound

1080p HDR arrives, a new generation of storytelling tools takes center stage, an...

04/04/2026

Fab Five Reunion Drives TNT and CBS's Experimental Final Four Altcast Built on REMI Workflow

Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...

04/04/2026

Flock Audio's latest Patch App DX update

Faster, cleaner and more intuitive than ever The control software for Flock Audio's digitally controlled patchbay systems has just been treated to an up...

04/04/2026

Sinclair to FCC: Broadcast Sports Drives Investment in Local News

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

Study: Worldwide Telecom Capex to Decline in 2026,

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

Ateme Delivers Full End-to-End Streaming Platform to Moldtelecom

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

FCC Plans Spending, Regulatory Fee Revenue Reductions in FY 2027

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/04/2026

DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core

DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments The accompanying image shows the rear panel of the ...

04/04/2026

Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card

Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments New for NAB Show 2026, MEP100 SmartNIC now sup...

04/04/2026

Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production

Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production Brie Clayton April 3, 2026 0 Comments Framelight X unifies field capture, editing and publishing ...

03/04/2026

TNT Sports and CBS Sports To Reunite Michigan's Iconic Fab Five' for Special NCAA Men's Final Four Altcast on truTV and HBO Max

Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for an alternate presentation of the Mich...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Avid To Showcase Content Core and AI Workflow Innovations

Avid will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Booth N2226, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating its Content Core platform and new AI-driven workflow c...

03/04/2026

MRMC Appoints Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer

Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has announced the appointment of Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer. The announcement follows MRMC's transition fro...

03/04/2026

Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems' BATON for File-Based QC

Interra Systems has announced that Elite Media Technologies has selected its BATON file-based QC solution for media workflows. Elite Media Technologies speciali...

03/04/2026

Moldtelecom Deploys Ateme Technologies Across Full Streaming Workflow

Ateme has announced that Moldtelecom has deployed Ateme technologies across its streaming workflow, covering encoding, delivery, operations, and analytics. Mol...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Grass Valley To Demonstrate Framelight X Content Management

Grass Valley will demonstrate Framelight X, its content management platform, at NAB Show 2026. The platform connects capture, ingest, editing, and publishing in...

03/04/2026

NAB 2026: Encompass Digital Media and Techex Launch Cloud-Based Master Control Service for Live Events

Encompass Digital Media and Techex have announced a cloud-native Master Control ...