Outer Banks fans are quickly making their way through the show’s hotly anticipated third season. The show has been one of Netflix’s big breakout hits thanks to its gripping plot and fascinating characters. One such character is John B. Routledge, but who plays this character, and where else have you seen them before Outer Banks? 

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What is Outer Banks about?

Making its debut on Netflix in 2020, Outer Banks is set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This area has rampant wealth inequality, with the affluent seasonal residents frequently clashing with the working-class locals. This tension is so palpable that both groups have local nicknames, with the rich people being called the Kooks and the poor, the Pogues.

The story follows a group of teenage Pogues led by John B. Routledge. John’s father went missing under mysterious circumstances, and thus John and his gang attempt to find out what happened to him. However, as they embark on this quest, things get very complicated very quickly as the group stumbles onto a legend of a hidden treasure, a treasure that may be connected to John’s father. But, this discovery puts the group in the sights of the local authorities and a shadowy group of wealthy locals who want the treasure for their own ends. 

Who plays John B. Routledge, and what else have they done?

John B. Routledge, the leader of the gang of misfit working-class teens, is played by Chase Stokes. Stokes made his mainstream debut in 2015 when he had a small role in the TV drama Base. However, most would have first seen the young actor in 2016 when he appeared as Reed in the “Chapter Six: The Monster” episode of Stranger Things. 

Since then, the actor’s career has gone from strength to strength. In 2017 he appeared in the satirical comedy-drama Daytime Divas and in 2018 he performed in the made-for-TV movie The Beach House. In 2020 he got the role of John B Routledge in Outer Banks, thrusting him into the mainstream consciousness and letting a whole new audience enjoy his talents, leading to his career taking off. 

Since Outer Banks started, Stokes has had many roles, including playing Martin in the 2021 movie Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets and Adam in three episodes of praised thriller Tell Me Your Secrets. This won’t be the last time audiences will see Stokes, as he’s been confirmed to appear in the upcoming sci-fi fantasy film The Uglies.