‘SIX’ Puts Kyle Schmid’s Caulder on the Injured Reserve
Preview
There is no easy day for the Navy SEALs of SIX, but for Alex Caulder (Kyle Schmid), it seems like each one gets worse than the one before.
So far in Season 2, the free-wheeling ladies man has had his bell rung severely by an explosion that has left him with constant ringing and led to a near-death dependency on OxyContin. And last week, his compromised condition resulting in his being shot in the wrist during a mission.
Now sidelined, the elite soldier is more adrift than ever, although there may be someone heading his way who has a life preserver. Here, Schmid shares details on his evolving storyline and what danger still awaits Caulder once he gets back into the game.
Damn, your guy is having a rough run!
Kyle Schmid: This is all the most incredible five-episode arc that I’ve ever had on anything in my life. Episode 2 was him kind of going through it, then the overdose happens and Bear (Barry Sloane) kind of pulls him back. He kind of gets settled with that but is continuing to go out, but these headaches are killing him more and more.
He’s sworn off the Oxy, so he’s just popping Advil’s and Tylenol’s and whatever he can get over the counter. And eventually put himself and his team at risk…thank God it’s him that ends up taking a bullet, because it could’ve gone very wrong in so many other ways. Luckily he’s only shot in the wrist, which could be a career ending thing. So he goes into therapy.
Kyle Schmid as Caulder, Barry Sloane as Bear.
Physical therapy?
Physical therapy. The boys visit him at the hospital, it’s like, “Dude I’ll be back, don’t worry, don’t replace me, I’ll be right back”. But there’s a good chance that he might not be able to operate again. And over the next episode, he goes into physical therapy, where he falls in love. He falls in love hard.
As he would.
[Laughs] As he would, but it’s also for the first time. He usually holds all these women at arms length, right? And kind of plays the field because he’s just not emotionally available and the job comes first. Then he meets this vet who’s an amputee, she’s lost her leg. And amazingly we got [Austin, TX singer-songwriter] Savannah Welch to play this part and she actually lost her leg in real life.
How did she lose her leg?
She was at a farmers market with her son and her family. They were picking up groceries for a barbecue that night and an elderly woman got in her car and had an episode. She put her foot on the gas and drove into the back of the produce truck that she was standing in front of, pinned her leg between the truck and the car.
And this was in 2016?
Yeah, we call it an “Alive Day,” it’s a military term that people use who have almost died and have managed to live on despite the traumatic injuries. Alive Day is a one-year anniversary and we celebrated it on [set] when was here…we kind of celebrated the fact that she was with us and that she’s overcome so much in her life.
That’s so cool.
Yeah, it was special. We had a long day of shooting and just to be able to sit for an hour or so and have the time and show our appreciation. She’s really grown to be a good friend.
And how was working with her?
We just had this amazing connection on-screen and off-screen. This incredibly truthful kind of romance comes out of her character wanting me to be able to overcome all these doubts, these fears of who Caulder might be without his team what he’s made his entire life.
If he is going to be able to come back, he’s gonna have to change his mentality and be stronger then I think he was mentally prepared to be. So you see this incredible weakness in this character and it’s so heart-wrenching and heartbreaking.
This sounds like something probably a lot of military members deal with.
I’m so proud of the writing and the script and everybody who was part of the episode, it was mind-blowing. It was by far some of the most emotional work I’ve gotten to do. [And] it was therapeutic for Savannah, just as a human being to go through everything she’s gone through with her leg. What an amazing opportunity to be able to work with her.
Caulder has another woman in his life, too. How’s he doing as a dad?
He’s doing better. I mean he’s selfish and Dharma (Lindsely Register) wants what’s best for the injury. She see’s it as an opportunity to have a family again, to have a real dad.
So we kind of grow, but I want back on the team more than anything, it’s what Caulder needs in his life. At least selfishly that’s what he believes, especially at this juncture in his life. Behind her back, I go and get cleared, and they ask me back. But keep in mind I still have this brain thing.
You’ll still have the swelling?
Oh, yeah, I still have these headaches, I still have all of these things so I’m basically putting my life at jeopardy and possibly those around me. But I’m hiding it and they don’t know about it, my team doesn’t know about it. There’s moments where things might be questionable, but we just bowl right through it, because that’s what we do. That’s what these guys do.
Six, Wednesdays, 10/9c, History
