Lukas Gage Says It's 'Been a Year of Learning, Growing, Changing' After Chris Appleton Divorce (Exclusive)

The 28-year-old actor spoke to PEOPLE at the premiere of 'Road House' during SXSW in Austin, Texas, on Friday

Lukas Gage is opening up about his personal growth following his divorce from Chris Appleton last year.

On Friday, while attending the film premiere of Road House during SXSW in Austin, Texas, the actor spoke to PEOPLE about adjusting to life after splitting with celebrity hairstylist Appleton, 40,

“It's been great. It's been a year of learning, growing, changing — yeah, just constant change,” said Gage, 28. “Life's always changing.”

“Everything's great. Yeah, it's been really good,” he added.

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Appleton filed for divorce from the White Lotus star in November 2023, citing "irreconcilable differences." He noted a date of separation of Nov. 10, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The split came seven months after the pair tied the knot in Las Vegas.

Gage made his first appearance post-split from Appleton days after their divorce was announced in November, as he attended the season 5 premiere of FX’s Fargo in Los Angeles.

Speaking about his latest project Road House, which saw him working alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Gage described the experience as “a dream scenario.”

Related: Lukas Gage Makes First Red Carpet Appearance Since Chris Appleton Divorce Filing Was Made Public

“It was so amazing. It was so fun to be a part of something so big, so full of action like that. So involved and immersive where I was able to learn how to fight. I've never been asked to do that before,” he told PEOPLE on Friday.

“I could barely throw a punch before we started and now I can maybe kick someone's ass if they try to bite me," he continued. "But yeah, it was just so cool to be a part of something like this. And I've been a fan of Jake for so long and [director] Doug Liman forever. So it was a dream scenario.”

In the movie, which is a remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film, Gyllenhaal, 43, plays an ex-UFC fighter at the end of his fighting career as he becomes a bar bouncer at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys. He stars alongside Gage, Conor McGregor, Jessica Williams, Post Malone and Daniela Melchior.

Related: Lukas Gage and Chris Appleton's Relationship Timeline

Gage said he's driven by “always doing something different" in his career — and by working with idols like Gyllenhaal.

“... And mixing it up and surprising myself and surprising other people,” he added. “And not putting myself into a box and trying to do every kind of genre and every kind of character.”

“And it was also really fun to not play a villain or an a------ for the first time in a while,” he noted.

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