Exclusive Interview
‘Outer Banks’: Drew Starkey on His Surprise Cameo at John B & Sarah’s Wedding
Outer Banks came to an end with the Pogues and the Kooks uniting for John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah’s (Madelyn Cline) wedding one year after the devastating hurricane. The couple’s friends and loved ones — and also Topper (Austin North) — joined them as they celebrated their love at a place near and dear to their hearts: The Chateau. (Warning: Outer Banks Season 5 spoilers ahead.)
John B and Sarah’s son, JJ, named after their late friend (Rudy Pankow), was there to watch his mom and dad say “I do.” However, one notable person wasn’t in attendance: Sarah’s older brother, Rafe (Drew Starkey).
In the series finale credits, Rafe does make a cameo of sorts via FaceTime. Turns out, that wasn’t planned. “That FaceTime was a real FaceTime,” Starkey told Swooon. “I was at my apartment in Charleston, and you all called me, and I was just in my bed of like, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing?’ And they were like, ‘Come to set,’ and I was like, ‘All right, all right.’ So that’s actually me answering the phone.”
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Both Cline and Stokes thought Sarah and John B’s wedding being the event that closes out the show was the perfect goodbye. “It was sweet. I genuinely would not change a thing about it,” Cline said. “I knew that they planned on ending on a note like that, or something similar to the wedding or The Chateau and the baby. But it was really special because I didn’t know that they planned on bringing a bunch of the core cast back to a core Season 1 and 2 location, so it was a really, really joyful day for everyone, I think.”
Stokes said the couple’s nuptials were “the most kismet way to do it” and what the show’s co-creators had planned from the start. “The beauty behind it is that’s exactly what Jonas told us it was supposed to be,” he pointed out.
Throughout the show’s run, Sarah and Rafe had a fractured relationship, but at the end of the day, they were always family. Rafe and Sofia (Fiona Palomo) fled the country via boat after the hurricane as Rafe’s legal troubles caught up to him.
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Before Rafe and Sofia took off, he shared an emotional goodbye with his little sister and the Pogues. Both Cline and Starkey acknowledged the impact of Rafe and Sarah’s goodbye scene.
“I think it was cathartic for both me and Drew,” Cline told Swooon. “Drew and I have had so much fun over the years portraying Sarah and Rafe’s dynamic, and just kind of playing ball and going back and forth. I adore working with him… Our sibling dynamic was something I always really, really enjoyed about the show, even though it was always f**ked. Sorry, but he’s just so incredibly good at it, and so it did feel kind of like I was saying goodbye to him and Rafe, even though I wasn’t. But it did kind of come through, I think, in the performances for both of us. I don’t think we planned on it being that emotional, but it was, and I think it served its purpose.”
Starkey said Cline is like his real-life sister after nearly a decade of working together. “It truly felt like I was saying goodbye to a sister,” he admitted. “I’m glad Rafe got that moment with everyone. It feels like a bit of closure. It’s a bit tragic in the end, but I feel like he’s come to some cathartic conclusion in the end.”
Outer Banks, All Seasons, Streaming Now, Netflix
