But the cast of “Outer Banks” isn’t just outdoorsy, they’re also Southern — for the most part. “They’re all Southern except Rudy Pankow, who plays JJ,” the Netflix series co-creator admitted, “but he grew up in the wilds of Alaska. He’s definitely an outdoor guy.”
Chase Stokes, who plays protagonist John B., spent most of his childhood in Atlanta, per a 2020 interview with JADE. His love interest Sarah Cameron is played by Madelyn Cline, who is actually native to the shooting location of Charleston. Shooting on her home turf helped Cline connect more with the project — and with her own roots.
“I think personally, I fell back in love with where I’m from, Charleston,” the actress told V Magazine. “Shooting a show and a love story in that whole ecosystem with the most amazing people, our cast and our crew, I fell back in love with that area because I was so in love with the project.”
The series is also highly personal and nostalgic for its creators, who grew up in the Carolinas as well. “It was based on childhood memories,” said Josh Pate (via Garden and Gun). “[Co-creator] Jonas [Pate] and I grew up out on Kiawah and Johns Island [South Carolina] and around Wrightsville Beach [North Carolina]. The class divide felt real in these places, which is where the Pogues and the Kooks come in.”
For all of its far-fetched adventure, “Outer Banks” has a lot of heart. The bonds between the characters feel real, and there’s a reason — the cast is also incredibly close in real life. “They actually are really good friends, and I guess that was just luck,” Pate said.