Drew Starkey

Joseph Andrew Starkey is an American actor known for his performances across television and feature films. He gained widespread public recognition for portraying the troubled adolescent character Rafe Cameron in the drama series Outer Banks from 2020 to 2026. His career also encompasses notable film roles, including his performance as Eugene Allerton in the 2024 release Queer.

Starkey was born on November 4, 1993, in Asheville, North Carolina. He is the son of Todd Starkey, a college basketball coach. During his early years, his family moved between various places in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, though he spent the majority of his youth raised in Hickory, North Carolina.

While growing up, Starkey participated in sports and music, playing basketball and baseball as well as learning to play both the guitar and the piano. He went to high school at St. Stephens High School in Hickory. It was during his freshman year at the school that he developed a serious commitment to performing after participating in a drama class.

After high school, Starkey pursued higher education at Western Carolina University. He completed his university studies in 2016, graduating with a double major in both English and theater performance. Following the completion of his degree, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined two friends who were forming a production company, and he subsequently began auditioning for acting opportunities.

Starkey started his professional screen acting career with supporting parts in feature-length projects targeted at teenage audiences. In 2018, he made appearances in two teen drama films, Love, Simon and The Hate U Give. These initial screen credits served as his introduction to film acting before he secured more prominent parts.

Starkey subsequently achieved significant recognition through his multi-year role as Rafe Cameron in Outer Banks, which ran from 2020 until 2026. In addition to his work on the television series, he continued to build his feature film portfolio, leading to his casting as Eugene Allerton in the 2024 film Queer.