What Really Happens Behind the Scenes ofOuter Banks? 12 Secrets About the Teen Drama, Straight from the Cast and Crew

Mar. 15, 2025

(L to R) Chase Stokes as John B, Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Madison Bailey as Kiara and Jonathan Daviss as Pope in episode 204 of Outer Banks.Photo:JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX© 2021

(L to R) Chase Stokes as John B, Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Madison Bailey as Kiara and Jonathan Daviss as Pope in episode 204 of Outer Banks.

Outer Bankshas been giving fans emotional whiplash since it premiered in 2020.

The action-packed Netflix drama follows a group of treasure-hunting Pogues — John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) — who track down some of history’s most elusive artifacts against all odds (many of those odds being the richer, more power-hungry Kooks).

The show has run for four seasons so far, however, days before the final episodes of season 4 hit the streamer on Nov. 7, show creators Shannon Burke, Jonas Pate and Josh Pate announced on Instagram thatseason 5will be the last.

“We hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago,” they wrote in a letter to fans. “We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.”

From who originally wanted to pass on the show to unexpected rain storms during filming, here are 13 behind-the-scenes facts aboutOuter Banks.

The cast lived in the same complex while filming season 1

The cast of ‘Outer Banks’ in a behind the scenes photo.

Stokes, who plays Pogue leader John B. Routledge in the series, toldNylonin 2020 that the entire cast was housed in the same apartment complex while they filmed the first season. He lived with Pankow, and Daviss bunked with Austin North, who plays Topper.

Cline lived a floor below the boys, andDrew Starkey(Rafe Cameron) and Bailey were a few minutes away.

“On the weekends everybody would come over, play games, blast music, eat food,” Stokes said. “We had a lot of time collectively as a cast to really sink our teeth into — not just mine and Maddie’s relationship — but everybody as a whole. It was kind of this natural organic thing for everybody.”

Stokes initially turned down the role of John B …

Chase Stokes attends the Netflix Premiere of Outer Banks Season 3 at Regency Village Theatre on February 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.Charley Gallay/Getty

Chase Stokes attends the Netflix Premiere of Outer Banks Season 3 at Regency Village Theatre on February 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Charley Gallay/Getty

When his agent first sent him a breakdown forOuter Banks, Stokesinitially turned the roleof John B down.

“I was like, ‘That’sThe Goonies. That’s for sureThe Goonies. I don’t want to destroy that,’ ” the actor said during a 2021 appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live!. “So I passed on it. And I was like, ‘Nope. Not doing that.’ "

… and read for Topper instead

Austin North as Topper (L) and Chase Stokes as John in episode 207 of Outer Banks.

After turning down the lead, Stokes said he decided to read for Topper (John B’s arch-nemesis) because he was “so broke.” But the actor toldJimmy Kimmel Live!guest host Anthony Anderson that he “bombed” the audition.

Two weeks later, another casting director reached out to Stokes’ agent about John B. The actor read the script this time and realized that it wasn’tThe Gooniesat all.

“So I read it, and I immediately was sitting in my borderline-evicted apartment and I was like, ‘I made a giant mistake. It’s notThe Goonies.It’s literally notThe Goonies.'” he said. “And I had fully convinced myself for a month-and-a-half at this point that it’sThe Goonies.”

Stokes landed the role two days later.

Pankow auditioned for the role of Rafe

Rudy Pankow as JJ in episode 402 of Outer Banks.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow as JJ in episode 402 of Outer Banks.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Stokes wasn’t the only cast member to almost play an entirely different character. In a 2023Cosmopolitaninterview, Starkey said both he and Pankow read for the character Rafe. Even though Pankow was eventually chosen for JJ, Starkey said the two characters have a lot of similarities.

“Rudy, you and I talked about this because you were in the mix auditioning for Rafe,” Starkey said. “At one point, we were like, ‘These guys are really just two sides of the same coin.’ A lot of the same motivations and the freedom that we have to really do whatever.”

Cline and Stokes dated in real life

Chase Stokes as John B and Madelyn Cline as Sarah in episode 204 of Outer Banks.JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX

Chase Stokes as John B and Madelyn Cline as Sarah in episode 204 of Outer Banks.

Stokes and Cline once took their on-screen chemistry off-screen. After months of speculation, the former coupleconfirmed their relationshipin June 2020. They dated for over a year before breaking up in November 2021. In a 2023 interview withEntertainment Weekly, they opened up about what it’s like working with an ex.

“We made a promise to each other before we even started dating that the work was always going to come first,” Stokes said. “And that no matter what happens in our personal lives, and the ways that life sometimes takes you in different directions, that we’re always going to honor the work. That stayed 100 percent truthful this season.”

Both Stokes and Cline have moved on. Cline was romantically linked toPete Davidsonbefore their split in early 2024 and Stokes has been dating musicianKelsea Ballerinisince January 2023.

Some of the cast quarantined together to promote the show

(L-R) Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, and Rudy Pankow take a selfie behind the scenes of ‘Outer Banks’.

In a 2020 interview withCosmopolitan, Cline revealed that she quarantined with Pankow, Stokes and Starkey for a month and a half while they promoted the first season ofOuter Banks.

“It was honestly like having the greatest support system ever,” the actress said. “We’d have our interviews and then we would make mimosas or celebrate and talk about it.”

Rain was not planned for John B and Sarah’s first kiss

Chase Stokes as John B and Madelyn Cline as Sarah in episode 104 of “Outer Banks'.

John B and Sarah’s first kiss — a rain-soaked smooch on a ferry — wasn’t entirely planned. Cline toldCosmopolitanthat director Cherie Nowlan almost called off filming for the day when she saw it was going to be raining for hours.

“I remember Chase, [creator] Jonas [Pate], and I kinda looked at each other and we were all like, ‘Let’s do it. We gotta do this. This is amazing, this is kismet right now, that is so romantic,’ ” Cline said. “We made sure with our camera department and everybody that it was okay, because you’re asking a lot of people to stand out in the rain … [The crew] was like, ‘Hell yes, we’re doing this, fullNotebookvibes.’ “

Stokes helped build Poguelandia 2.0

The Poguelandia 2.0 on the set of Outer Banks.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

The Poguelandia 2.0 on the set of Outer Banks.

“I was doing all of these random things around there, and I realized, ‘Oh, I’m getting some sweat equity in this building as Chase and not as John B,’ ” he said.

Pankow had to defend his real-life girlfriend from fans

Rudy Pankow and Elaine Siemek attend as Vanity Fair Hosts Vanities Party: A Night For Young Hollywood at Musso & Frank on March 22, 2022 in Hollywood, California.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Rudy Pankow and Elaine Siemek attend as Vanity Fair Hosts Vanities Party: A Night For Young Hollywood at Musso & Frank on March 22, 2022 in Hollywood, California.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

In a 2021Instagrampost, Pankowasked fans to stop harassinghis girlfriend,Elaine Siemek. TheOuter Banksstar wrote in the caption that the lies and accusations targeted towards her went “beyond the normal ‘hate.’ ”

“Not only is she not what she is being accused of being, she is the complete opposite and actively is so,” Pankow wrote in the caption. “Accusing someone you don’t know of being abusive and manipulative is not ok, especially when you don’t know the relationship personally … To those who are creating such displeasure and opinions about the one I love and my relationship, it’s time to stop.”

Pankow and Siemek, who worked as an assistant onOuter Banks, have been dating since at least November 2020.

The cast cried after Ward’s death scene

(L to R) Charles Esten as Ward Cameron, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron and Chase Stokes as John B in episode 210 of Outer Banks.

Fans may not have mourned Ward (Sarah’s violent father who tries to stop her and the Pogues from finding the treasure) when he died at the end of season 3, but his castmates sure did.

Cline toldTudumthat Charles “Chip” Esten, who played her father on-screen, became a dad to everyone on set. According to Grant (Cleo), everyone cried on the way back from shooting Chip’s final scene.

“It was such a long ride back to the hotel, and Chip was just giving us all advice,” Cline said. “It was so sad.”

Stokes doesn’t relate to his character’s decisions now that he’s older

Chase Stokes as John B. in season 1 episode 1 of ‘Outer Banks’.

The actor, who turned 32 in September, toldCosmopolitanthat he’s finding it harder and harder to relate to his teenage character John B as the years go on.

“One of the things about being 32 now is you read the script and you’re like,’Why are you not thinking about this decision?’ ” Stokes said. “It’s really hard to relate to at times. And I think that’s why these guys get a little bit irritated at work with me, because I ask so many questions to understand and justify some of these actions. I would love to sit John B.’s ass down and shake him into some sense.”

The final line of season 3 was an inside joke

Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Chase Stokes as John B in episode 310 of Outer Banks.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Chase Stokes as John B in episode 310 of Outer Banks.

The third season ofOuter Banksends with John B saying “hot damn” — a phrase Stokes told Tudum in 2023 was an inside joke on set.

Apparently every time the cameras were about to start rolling, the first assistant director would say “hot damn.” It became such a thing, that executive producer Jonas Pate secretly asked Stoke to say the quip as his final line that season.

source: people.com