Chase Stokes Details New Diet, Workout Routine After Outer Banks

“There was a lot of lighter weight, higher reps with John B. to sort of keep that lean look, and now, it’s a lot more of heavy compound lifts,” he added. “It’s almost sort of mirroring a version of what a wide receiver, or even a tight end, would do. A lot of cleans, squats, Bulgarian split squats, deadlifts. I’m benching for the first time in a long time, trying to hit maxes. I’m really building out my frame versus with John B., I had to be kind of lanky and lean.”

Overall, “It’s nice to be able to eat more.”

But this physical change marks more than just a new role—it’s also the beginning of a new chapter emotionally and mentally. 

“I’ve been playing a teenager through my late 20s and early 30s,” he said. “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.”

But undergoing a metamorphosis can be intimidating for anyone, let alone someone living so squarely in the public eye. 

“I’ve always kind of struggled with body dysmorphia,” Stokes—who embarked on an on-again, off-again relationship with Kelsea Ballerini after dating Outer Banks costar Madelyn Cline—said. “The internet falls in love with the blonde-haired boy with the six-pack abs and then wonders why I don’t always look like that. I’ve gone through a lot of scrutiny and a lot of condescending stuff over the years about my body, and it’s really messed with my mental health at times.”

Now, however, “we get to start fresh,” he added. “We get to build something that is really cool and entirely different. And you don’t have to worry about the aesthetics. You can just focus on the work and the art and making sure that you’re showing up well for the job.”

After all, behind the sandy-haired boy running around the barrier islands of North Carolina was the man himself.

“I just want the world to see me,” Stokes reflected. “That’s a scary, vulnerable thing to say.”

For more stars who have gotten candid about changing their physical makeup for a role, read on.