Theres also this character and his world.
There are so many things that could hook you and make you interested in this.
What was the first thing that made you feel like this was a cool project?
And then, I met Nick.
I felt like he was the safest human to do this story with.
He really, really understands love.
Image via Voltage
Hes doneThe Notebook, but hes done so many unbelievable films throughout his career.
Hes just a giant lover.
Obviously, books get changed when theyre adapted for different mediums.
Image via Voltage
You have this dont-give-a-shit thing.
That was still a version of what was on the page.
Chase Stokes from Outer Banks' turns into the rebellious, bad-boy tattoo artist Rule Archer.
Image via Voltage
STOKES: Its such an interesting thing.
You have to lean into what feels right to you.
Its hard to convey an entire history between two people that happens before we meet them in the film.
STOKES: Syd and I got to Bulgaria first.
She felt very safe, as a human being.
So, the fact that it just organically happened between us was a really, really beautiful thing.
Image via Netflix
And then, I was tipped early on that Alexander Ludwig was gonna be playing Rome.
I think were four months apart.
So, we connected immediately.
Youre not gonna get this many times in your career.
And so, to go to a project like this and to get that same experience was incredible.
What was your reaction the first time you read that scene and what was that like to shoot?
Any time theres nudity or intimacy in a film, its beyond the two actors.
Its like a dance.
There are so many moving pieces.
Its the perfect entryway into understanding how different and complex these characters are.
What was that like to figure out?
Did it take a lot of time to shoot all of that?
STOKES: We spent a decent amount of time figuring out how the movement was gonna go.
Nick is really big on rehearsal time and feeling out the space.
And Kenji Katori, our DP who also operates camera, is just a maestro behind the lens.
Hes so good at finding things, even when it feels like an impossible shot to get.
And I was like, Yes, girl.
Were you ever worried that you might drop her?
STOKES: I was.
The story behind the story is that I had actually gotten a staph infection while filming this movie.
Syd is a very small human being, so that made it a little bit easier on me.
Rule is very clear that a tattoo should mean something because its art.
Do all of your tattoos mean something to you?
Its faded and the “e” is now a “c.” I didnt have a plan.
I just walked into the shop and did it.
Ive got a couple other ones that are just there.
I dont necessarily regret them.
Thats where character versus Chase comes into play.
It would be like if somebody came to work on a film set and just tried to wing it.
I would have that same reaction.
Id be like, This is fucking work.
What was it like to see yourself with tattoos that werent actually yours?
STOKES: It was a trip.
They definitely wanted my feedback.
They wanted each character to have their own specificity to the artwork that they put on their body.
They sent them to me and I was like, This is the coolest shit, ever.
As soon as they put them on, I was like, Okay, this is Rule.
But it was a process.
Like three and a half hours of a process.
They are very detailed.
That was something that I was really impressed with.
I was particularly struck by the moment when he says, Youre important to me.
And her response is, I am?, because hes never said anything like that to her before.
How was it to figure out how that conversation would work?
Its such an important moment for them.
What was it like to shoot that?
STOKES: We knew that was a very pivotal scene in the arc of Rule and Shaw.
Its something that you just dont expect to hear him say, especially as the conversation starts.
Thats one of the first moments.
You dont see him cracking.
That was the facade, but now hes allowing himself to find a softness.
The bunny hat makes an appearance a couple of times.
STOKES: It does.
What was it like to do the spanking scene while wearing that?
That is really one of the funniest moments.
How did you do that scene without laughing because you couldnt have any reaction?
STOKES: Honestly, a lot of that moment was stuff that Nick thought would be hilarious.
We shot a bunch of stuff with it.
I would take it off in between takes, which Im sure our hair team was very happy about.
When it came to some of that stuff, we played around with a couple different versions of that.
It was a trip.
Nick was off camera, just comically belly laughing for that entire sequence.
How did you manage to not laugh?
STOKES: It was hard.
There were a lot of other bits that didnt make the cut, that were within that sequence.
I was acting my ass off to not laugh, more than I was anything else in those moments.
Thats a true testament to the safety between Syd and I, and our trust and safety with Nick.
It was about, is everybody safe?
Are you guys cool if we go this direction?
He would take ideas from us.
We see that in all different areas of the film.
What do you think Rules reaction was, after the screen goes black in that moment?
Are you rooting for another movie to get to see where that relationship goes?
And Evan is so hilarious.
What were you guys doing when Shaw and Rule were ice skating?
Was that the kind of project that you really have to pace yourself through?
Thats just the truth of that world.
It was really living in an adjacent world to it, which was nice.
The character was fun.
The high-octane film will arrive in cinemas early next year.
STOKES: One of the more challenging sequences was definitely in the caves.
We shot that towards the end of the movie.
We shot almost entirely chronologically.
He wanted it to be authentic to the military, so that they felt seen and supported.
And it was so cold.
The whole movie was tough, truthfully.
I think we had one day that was just a dialog-based day, and that was in the farmhouse.
I dont even think it was a full day.
I think it was half of the second half of the day, in the evening.
STOKES: Its very bittersweet.
Im very thankful for the last five and a half years of the show.
I will deeply, deeply, deeply miss John B. I learned a lot about myself.
Ive grown up with the character, in a sense.
That allows me to close this beautiful chapter of my life and jump into the film space.
Ive really enjoyed the opportunity that Ive had so far with film and getting into theaters.
Is the Pogues' final adventure on the horizon?
Do you know what youre going to do next, beyond that?
Have you thought about the kinds of projects you want to do?
Do you have a secret desire to do a musical?
STOKES: I would love to.
I am very much in a space of, there are a lot of exciting things in the future.
All of them were compelling stories and characters that I felt a connection to.
The simplicity of it and the specificity of these characters felt really present.
Love is awesome if you allow it to be there.
With success and attention comes options.
That is something that I am gonna be doing.
Its cool to be in a position where you’re free to make that happen.
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