Have You Noticed Cal's Real-Life Wife in Sweet Magnolias Season 3?
Cal's ex appears in Season 3, and the actor behind the role is bound to surprise fans.
Sweet Magnolias on Netflix is as comforting as the title implies, telling the sweet and enduring story of three lifelong friends who support each other through life's ups and downs. Although the show has a sweet and comforting tone throughout, it does not shy away from exploring the darker side of human existence.
No matter how happy someone's life may be, they are bound to face hardships that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Such was the case with Justin Bruening's character, Cal, who emerged as Maddie's new love interest. Meanwhile, Cal’s manipulative ex, who once turned his life upside down, re-entered his life. Interestingly, few people realised that Bruening's real-life wife played Cal Maddox's ex-partner! It's certainly an unusual choice to have your spouse portray your character's ex, isn't it?
Cal is portrayed as a decent man who makes an excellent partner for Maddie. He's a kind and compassionate history teacher and baseball coach at Serenity High, where he helps Maddie's son, Tyler, discover his pitching gift.
Like all characters on the show, Cal has past traumas to grapple with: he was once a professional MLB player whose career was abruptly ended by a motorcycle accident. He also struggles with psychological issues from his past relationship with an abusive woman named Vicky.
In Season 3, which premiered on 20 July, Vicky finally makes her appearance. In the ninth episode, the person Cal described as manipulative re-emerges in his life, not to reconcile with him, but to arrange a double date involving Cal, Maddie, Vicky and her new husband. Predictably, this doesn't end with a friendly farewell, as Maddie and Vicky confront each other during a trip to the powder room at dinner.
The fact that Vicky is played by Bruening's real-life wife, Alexa Havins, will probably have gone unnoticed by most viewers. The two became friends while starring in the soap opera All My Children from 2003 to 2007. They got married in 2005, and two years later, Bruening and Havins left the project and moved to Los Angeles. As of 2023, the couple have had three children together.
It must feel quite strange to play the abusive ex of a character portrayed by your own spouse, but the couple must be pleased to be working on the same set once again!