Outer Banks star Chase Stokes has revealed that injuries sustained on set have left him with short-term memory loss. The 33-year-old actor, who has played John B. Routledge on the Netflix series since 2020, said he has suffered three concussions while making the show, the most recent during season 3 while filming an action sequence on a plane.
During the scene, a co-star pushed open a door that swung back and hit Stokes on the head, knocking him unconscious. Speaking to Men's Health, Stokes said the injuries have affected his memory, describing the situation as 'scary'.
Memory issues become 'more prominent'
Stokes explained that over the last two years he has noticed memory retention issues becoming 'a little bit more prominent'. He described days when he would review his materials the night before, only to forget chunks of dialogue on the way to work.
'I've had days where I've looked at my materials the night before, and I'm feeling pretty good about it, but then I'll get in the car and go to work, and I'll be like, "S***, I don't remember the chunk of dialogue from last night",' he said.
He also admitted that when people tell him things, he forgets them very quickly. 'It's almost like a short-term memory loss type of situation. It's scary,' he added.
Brain training and fewer stunts
To address the issue, Stokes said he is working on ways to remap and train his brain, noting that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has helped him 'tremendously'. According to the NHS, TMS is a 'non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain', used to treat conditions including depression, anxiety, and certain neurological disorders.
Stokes is also doing fewer stunts. Aside from the concussions, he has also 'popped a shoulder out of place, dislocated my finger, and gotten stitches'.
Outer Banks is streaming now on Netflix.
