Chase Stokes has revealed he is battling short-term memory loss after sustaining three concussions during the filming of Netflix’s Outer Banks.
The 33-year-old actor, who played John B Routledge throughout the hit drama’s run, detailed the lasting neurological impact in a recent interview with Men’s Health. Stokes said the injuries accumulated across years of performing his own stunts on the show, which premiered in 2020 and earned an 83 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
“The final one was the airplane door,” Stokes said. “I’ve also popped a shoulder out of place, dislocated my finger, gotten stitches, those types of things.”
Stokes emphasized his deep commitment to the role despite the physical toll. “This is a show that I’ve quite literally poured my blood, sweat, and tears into over the years,” he said, “but I wouldn’t have traded those blood, sweat, and tears to make that character come alive for.”
The actor described how cognitive symptoms emerged gradually in the years following production. “The last two years, I’ve started to notice memory retention issues becoming a little bit more prominent,” he explained. “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?'”
Stokes also described broader memory failures beyond his acting work. “Also, I’ll hear something or I’ll be told something, and then very shortly after forget it,” he continued. “It’s almost like a short-term memory loss type of situation. It’s scary.”
The actor expressed frustration with gaps in medical understanding of brain trauma recovery. “The world of concussion protocol is obviously one thing, but the world of how we treat it and how we take care of the brain post-concussion is still such an underdeveloped side of the science of the brain,” he said. “So I’m always trying to figure out how can I get better? What are the things that I can do to help?”
Stokes has pursued emerging treatments to address his symptoms. “So, I’m finding new ways to focus on remapping and focusing on neuroplasticity in my brain,” he shared. “I’ve done TMS treatment, which is a really cool practice that is basically like a magnetic pulse on your head.”
He noted the therapy has shown measurable results. “It helps sort of remap and rewire the neuroplasticity in the brain, which has helped tremendously for me,” Stokes added.
The memory issues have prompted Stokes to modify his professional approach. “Still, it’s always a little bit in the back of my head, so this year, I really toned back on the stunt work,” he said.
The concussions were not the only health crisis Stokes faced following Outer Banks production. He previously disclosed that he was rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure shortly after filming concluded, which he attributed to the relentless demands of intense stunts and a hectic production schedule that pushed his body beyond breaking point.
Stokes continues to seek new methods for managing his neurological recovery while balancing his acting career.