Chase Stokes

James Alexander Chase Stokes is an American actor and director who gained widespread recognition for portraying the lead character John B. in the Netflix drama series Outer Banks. Following his breakthrough in television, he expanded his career into feature films as well as behind-the-camera work as a producer and director.

Born on September 16, 1992, in Annapolis, Maryland, Stokes is the son of Jeff Stokes and Jennifer Canning. Following his parents' divorce when he was four years old, he relocated with his mother to Canton, Georgia, before later moving to Orlando, Florida, during his teenage years. There, he completed his secondary education at Timber Creek High School. Although he initially harbored ambitions of pursuing a professional career in ice hockey during his youth, he went on to pursue higher education, earning a bachelor's degree from Valencia College and attending both the University of Central Florida and Seminole State College.

Stokes launched his professional acting career by securing minor roles in television projects including Stranger Things, Daytime Divas, and Tell Me Your Secrets. In early 2019, he initially passed on an invitation to audition for Outer Banks, but later chose to read for the characters Topper and John B. He was ultimately cast as John B., and the series debuted on Netflix in April 2020. The project's popularity led to multiple follow-up seasons released between 2021 and 2024, with its fifth and final installment set for release in 2026.

Parallel to his work on Outer Banks, Stokes participated in several other screen projects. Although he appeared in the pilot episode of One of Us Is Lying as TJ in 2019, scheduling overlaps with the second season of Outer Banks prevented him from continuing with the full series. In September 2020, he starred alongside Madelyn Cline in the music video for the single Hot Stuff by Kygo and Donna Summer. He later entered feature films, taking on a role in Netflix's adaptation of the dystopian novel Uglies, joining the biographical drama Music Got Me Here, and co-producing and starring in the military thriller Valiant One. Additionally, he played the lead character Rule Archer in the young-adult romantic film Marked Men: Rule + Shaw, which arrived in theaters in January 2025.

In 2025, Stokes expanded his creative scope into filmmaking by announcing his debut as a feature director with I Told the Sunset About You. Based on an original idea created by Stokes, the coming-of-age romantic thriller follows a drifter and a waitress traveling west. The project extended his production partnership with Monarch Media, the team behind his previous work on Valiant One.

Throughout his public career, Stokes' personal life and health have also drawn attention. He was in a high-profile relationship with his Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline from mid-2020 until late 2021, and later had an intermittent relationship with country musician Kelsea Ballerini between early 2023 and early 2026. Following the conclusion of production on the ultimate season of Outer Banks, Stokes experienced severe medical challenges, suffering from kidney and liver failure as well as short-term memory loss resulting from three concussions.