Cal Jacobs, played by Eric Dane, is a character from the hit HBO series Euphoria (2019–).
Cal is the classic respectable family man in town, but he harbors a dark secret. He is a demanding and strict father, which we see damaging his relationship with his son, Nate. He is well-known in town for his real estate business, but he leads a secret sex life, frequently meeting young men and trans women in motels.
Cal grew up in East Highland. Like his son Nate, he was popular and athletic in high school, wrestling on the team alongside his best friend, Derek, with whom he spent every day. He started dating his now-wife, Marsha, when they were both 17. Cal was secretly bisexual and even had feelings for Derek, but he never acted on them — likely due to his strained relationship with his homophobic father.
However, the night before he and Derek left for separate colleges, they went to a bar outside East Highland for one last night together. There, Derek and Cal kissed and arranged to meet up again later that night. It was the first — and perhaps only — time Cal didn’t have to hide who he truly was. But the next morning, Marsha called Cal to tell him she was pregnant. After hanging up, Cal broke down in tears, devastated by the realization that he would never be free to be his true self.
As an adult, he explores his sexuality in a problematic way, cheating on his wife. Outwardly, he embodies the so-called “masculinity”, having a successful career, wealth, and upholding the image of a perfect family. But this is just the facade he’s built. Deep down, he suffers constantly from being unable to be himself, yet he refuses to change to protect his reputation. He chose to live a double life, seeing it as his only escape — a space where he could act naturally.
However, his son, Nate, discovers his affairs and threatens him. This leads Cal, in a drunken state, to confess to his family that he had been with a man (referring to Derek) the night before his wife announced she was pregnant with their first child. He also reveals that he had been leading a double life, secretly seeing men, women, and trans women.
Cal is a repressed bisexual man who struggles with self-acceptance — a deeply complex character with a layered backstory. However, he is not a healthy representation of bisexuality. His portrayal is entirely harmful, depicting adultery, sexual depravity, and an overall untrustworthy figure. While his life circumstances and understanding of sexuality pushed him to explore his identity in a toxic way, it does not justify the damaging behaviors he exhibits in the series — behaviors that ultimately affect other characters, including Jules, whom he encounters in one of his motel liaisons.
You can find an entry about this show in our Bi Media section.