Chase Stokes is celebrated for his performance as John B in the hit Netflix series, “Outer Banks.” But now that he has said goodbye to the role, the actor is excited to be known for different projects, and he’s currently working on an exciting one.
Chase Stokes Takes on New Role
Stokes will appear in the series, “Thunder Road,” portraying NASCAR racer Ronnie Whitlock. The AMC series is set for release in 2027, Entertainment Weekly reports. Stokes will appear alongside Dennis Quaid, who will play the role of Duane Whitlock.
In an interview with Men’s Health, published on August 26, Stokes discussed his latest role and the transformation his body underwent after he finished playing John B. “Although it’s a beautiful thing to know that this character exists in that way, it’s terrifying because I’m an artist,” he said. “I just want the world to see me. That’s a scary, vulnerable thing.”
Chase Stokes Changes His Workouts
Speaking of the change in his appearance, Stokes said, “I’m 33 years old. I’ve been playing a teenager through my late 20s and early 30s. I’m sort of already in the box of John B., so I was like, okay, I need to do something. I need to show the world that I am not a child with floppy, blonde hair. It’s salt and pepper now. I have a beard. I’ve always loved when artists or human beings go through transformations.”
In the interview, Stokes discussed his role in ‘Thunder Road,’ and how he prepared his body for it. “I knew I wanted to honor the world of NASCAR and the people who are out there in the field. This character, he’s a rear tire changer, and those guys are ex-Division I athletes. And a lot of them have played professional ball in other areas,” he said. “So, if I came in at the size of John B., that would be incredibly disrespectful to so many people who love this sport and those who are still operating at a professional athlete level physically to make sure that car goes into the pit lane, gets up on a jack, and goes out in the blink of an eye, so they can win these races.”
How Chase Stokes Prepared for ‘Thunder Road’
When Stokes played John B, he had to look leaner, which made him appear younger, but now, as Whitlock, he felt he could change his workouts to include more heavy compound lifts. The actor also discussed how heavy one of the car tires he was working with was, and the mental and physical demands of NASCAR drivers.
“Racing is a very underrated sport when it comes to the endurance and physicality of it. I knew that, for John B., being a surfer and in that dynamic, you are lean, you are a cardio machine. Now, I’m venturing into something different, and I have a responsibility to honor that world too,” he said.
Fans are excited to see Stokes take on more diverse roles, but perhaps no one is looking forward to this more than Stokes himself, as he told The Hollywood Reporter in an August interview, “I still to this day feel very pigeonholed.”
