Jonathan Daviss, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey.Photo:Monica Schipper/Getty; Steve Eichner/Variety/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Monica Schipper/Getty; Steve Eichner/Variety/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
It’s been two months sinceOuter Banksseason 4’s heartbreaking finalesparked rumors amongst fans of a behind-the-scenes rift, and now,Chase Stokesis fanning the flames once again.
During a Jan. 22 interview onThe Rich Eisen Show, the actor, 32, reflected on his journey to land the role of John B on the Netflix series as he said the show has changed his life and he’s “very thankful” for it and for “the people who are on it” with him.
“I mean, like I said,Jonathan [Daviss]andMadison Baileyare both, not just costars, they’re like family,” Stokes said. “We were at dinner last night just kind of talking about it, reminiscing on how crazy the last couple years have been and how much it has truthfully changed our lives.”
Stokes' reflection on the familial bond he has with Daviss, 24, and Bailey, 25, fueled fans' fire about a potential rift amongst the original castmembers — namely Stokes, Daviss, Bailey andRudy Pankow— because theMarked Menactor left Pankow out.
Stokes' John B, Daviss' Pope, Bailey’s Kiara and Pankow’s JJ were the core four characters in the first season, andthe cast was just as close off-screen as they were on, but when Pankow’s character died in the season 4 finale, speculation emerged that the actor had asked to leave the show due to behind-the-scenes issues.
(L-R) Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, and Rudy Pankow take a selfie behind the scenes of ‘Outer Banks’.JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX© 2021
JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX© 2021
Rumors about a potential feud went viral online, with fans specifically speculating that Bailey and Pankow had a falling out in real life, which led to his exit — and totheir characters' romantic storyline going underdeveloped on-screen— but asource told PEOPLE at the time that the actors were not feuding.
Amid the rumors, creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke claimed that JJ was always going to die, calling it a “hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story” that “sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season” in an interview with Netflix’sTudum.
Previous conflicts betweenPankow’s girlfriend, Elaine Siemek, and fans of the show also added another layer to the speculation. He’dcalled out fans for their “harassment” of his girlfriendin a lengthy Instagram post in 2021, and more recently toldCosmopolitanthat he felt “a lot of people can intertwine a narrative and what they want to believe.”
Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Chase Stokes as John B, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Rudy Pankow as JJ in ‘Outer Banks’.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Daviss said they were all “emotional…about the journey that we all went on together” during Pankow’s final days and Bailey was emotional too, as she said her costar “really made something” of his character and brought a “lightheartedness that the show desperately needed.”
Madelyn Cline, Rudy Pankow, Jonathan Daviss, Chase Stokes and Madison Bailey for ‘Outer Banks’ season 2.JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX
Stokes, for his part, said it had been a “joy to share the screen” with Pankow. “To create a brotherhood and to depict something on screen that young men can look at, as two young men be honest with one another, is something that I will hold near and dear to my heart for a long, long time.”
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Outer Banksseasons 1-4 can be streamed on Netflix.
source: people.com
