Jonathan Daviss leans again, throws his palms in entrance of him, and tilts his physique. “I JoJo pose on a regular basis,” he says whereas contorting his body in a pair of dark-blue dishevelled denims and a crisp denim jacket to imitate one among his favourite anime characters (and one he shares a reputation with): Jonathan “JoJo” Joestar of JoJo’s Weird Journey.
Daviss—who goes by JD—has been an anime fan for effectively over a decade. It began when he was assigned necessary studying in highschool and picked up Naruto. Instantly, he grew to become obsessed. “I went to Barnes & Noble and began shopping for the volumes,” he says whereas lounging on a sofa in a purple T-shirt within the inexperienced room of StyleCaster’s studio in New York Metropolis. “By shopping for, I imply, I might sit in Barnes & Noble and skim them as a result of I didn’t have cash. That is the time the place they weren’t checking.”
Daviss has come a good distance since he was studying manga at no cost at Barnes & Noble. For the previous 4 years, he’s starred as Pope Heyward, the brains of a ragtag group of treasure hunters and finest associates on the coast of North Caroline, in Netflix’s teen drama sequence, Outer Banks. The sequence—which premiered the primary a part of its fourth season on October 10 and is about to return with its second half on November 7—was the catalyst that catapulted Daviss, together with the remainder of the forged, from unknown actors to Gen Z royalty. Nonetheless, after 4 seasons on the primary on Netflix’s high exhibits listing and hundreds of thousands of social media followers later, Daviss isn’t taking something as a right.
“My life modified after I booked the half as a result of abruptly I used to be taking pictures a TV present for Netflix in South Carolina,” he says. “That was the entire aim within the first place. The present doing effectively, that modified my life otherwise. However by way of the factor I had been searching for, as soon as I used to be on that movie set, I used to be working. I used to be enveloped in making one thing come to life. That was the true aim.”
Does it really feel bizarre to look again on what your life was like throughout that first season?
I used to be 19, so I used to be mainly a child. It was a giant transition for me. I by no means had a lead half earlier than. We didn’t know what this present might be like and the attain it could have. Each season since then, we’ve been making it with a mindset of, “No persons are really gonna, watch.” Earlier than then, there have been no expectations.
What was your life like on the time earlier than the present?
I used to be doing the artist wrestle. I used to be working two jobs. I labored at Saks Off fifth Avenue within the girls’s shoe division. I used to be additionally charging Fowl scooters on the aspect for further money, sleeping on couches, simply attempting to make it occur. That starvation positively helped with the audition. I keep in mind pondering to myself after the primary audition like, “I don’t know who else they’d get in the event that they don’t select me. It might be loopy in the event that they forged anyone else.”
My life modified after I booked the half.
Outer Banks is now in Season 4. How does this season really feel completely different from previous seasons?
It was us attempting to make it a return to type and join with what audiences preferred within the first place. Lots of it was ensuring we paid homage and respect to this friendship that was so vital within the first season.
When the Season 4 trailer got here out, there have been quite a lot of feedback from followers about how the Pogues spent the primary three seasons searching for the treasure solely to blow all of it the subsequent season. What was your response while you learn that within the script?
We had been attempting to determine how you can make them poor once more, and when individuals watch the present, they’ll perceive the way it bought to that time. There are positively some selections that get made in that first episode. However I’ve to continuously need to remind myself that these children are like 17. They’re not like 24 yr olds who’ve made and misplaced cash. So far as I’m involved, if MC Hammer can lose all that cash, these children can lose all that cash.
Season 4 additionally began with all six of the Pogues in relationships. How do you assume Pope and Cleo are completely different than John B. and Sarah, and JJ and Kiara?
I really feel like Pope and Cleo’s relationship is completely different in the best way Pope didn’t essentially desire a girlfriend on the time. I don’t assume he needed to be with anyone. He was nonetheless fairly damage about the entire Kiara scenario, and he needed to be taught to heat as much as Cleo, and vice versa. Season 3 was about him getting over his first crush, and now he’s with anyone who genuinely cares for him and has seen him by way of some actually arduous occasions, who’s loyal and constant. Actually, he needs he might be extra like Cleo, who’s assured and really positive in herself. I feel he actually admires that about her. That is his first critical relationship and the primary girlfriend he’s ever had. He’s nonetheless studying how you can have a girlfriend, and he or she’s nonetheless studying how you can have a boyfriend who isn’t attempting to steal from her. It’s very cute. They’re in a really completely different sort of relationship than the opposite two {couples}.
Do you assume they’re endgame?
Completely. They’re my private endgame.
There was an enormous dying in Season 4 with Terrance. What was your response while you first learn that within the script?
It was insane. I didn’t know he would die so fast, however it positively pushes Cleo’s character into this place for the remainder of the present the place she’s on a revenge quest. That’s her father in quite a lot of methods. It makes it an actual private journey for Cleo. And due to that, it makes it an actual private journey for Pope. This isn’t like one of many different father deaths, the place you’ll be able to’t actually do something about it. There’s an actual revenge facet to this one.
I keep in mind pondering after the primary audition, ‘I don’t know who else they’d get in the event that they don’t select me.’
Each season the Pogues get themselves into harmful conditions they usually all the time appear to make it out alive. Do you assume there’s a risk a Pogue might ever die?
These children are like superheroes. I’m fairly positive they might survive an atomic bomb like cockroaches. Like several present, you’ve got hope [someone doesn’t die.] You like all these individuals, and also you don’t need to see something dangerous occur to them.
On that matter, Season 4, Half 1 ends on a cliffhanger the place Pope and Sarah’s lives are at stake. What are you able to tease about how they survive?
I might say it will get extra harmful earlier than it doesn’t.
Season 4, Half 1 additionally ends with a cliffhanger about JJ studying the identification of his actual dad and mom, particularly his dad. What are you able to say about how that performs out in Half 2?
It’s a extra private connection to this treasure they had been doing to only pay their payments. Now abruptly, they’re implicated so closely that they don’t have any alternative. It flips how JJ views the world. His dad’s not his dad. He didn’t have an amazing one to begin with. Now, we don’t know who this man is. We’re hoping we will all hold our crew collectively, and we don’t splinter off.
Have the creators talked about how lengthy they see the present operating for?
They all the time stated it’s two trilogies, , they needed to do one other trilogy. However it actually depends upon how the followers react to every season as they arrive out and what number of occasions you need to come again for it. We’d love to offer the followers as a lot Outer Banks as they need.
How do you see the present ending?
I don’t assume Pope’s getting that scholarship. I’m gonna be trustworthy with you. I feel that scholarship is lengthy gone. I simply hope they’ll all dwell blissful lives. I hope they’ll all go into maturity and grow to be full-time treasure hunters as their occupation.
I learn that you simply directed some commercials for Outer Banks Season 4. How did that come about?
It was simply an thought I had with the director about JJ’s constitution service, as a result of they’d a telephone quantity. I used to be like, “It’d be humorous if you happen to do a type of commercials for it.” He was like, “It is best to pitch that to Netflix. I’m positive they’d allow you to do it.” So I wrote six commercials, and I condensed them to 3, pitched them to Netflix with a pitch deck, we set our price range, and had been like, “Hey, this may be actually cool to do. I feel the followers would get pleasure from one thing like this. It’s humorous. It’s on-brand for the character.” They agreed. We shot that on a Sunday, bought all of the Pogues to learn off their enter on what can be humorous, and went in and shot it. I used to be so proud of the tip outcome. It was how I envisioned it. There’s one thing cathartic about writing one thing with your folks in thoughts and doing it similar to you thought it.
[Pope and Cleo] are my private endgame.
What was it wish to direct your co-stars?
It wasn’t as a lot directing them, however giving them ideas each from time to time. However they sort of knew. You act with individuals for thus lengthy, precisely what they’re going to do and you may plan round that. The primary time they got here on set, all people was positively like, “Oh, director!” as a result of they’re your good friend they usually gotta provide you with a little bit bit. However the entire thing nearly made me cry and tear up watching it occur. I need to direct and proceed to do movies and shorts.
May you see your self directing an episode in Season 5?
In the event that they name me tomorrow, I’d do it. Even when they are saying no, I’m gonna allow them to know I need to.
Do you’ve got any behind-the-scenes tales from doing stunts on the present?
There was one time that was actually humorous the place we had been in Barbados, and we’re on a little bit raft. Carlacia Grant, bless her coronary heart, was a rookie—a freshman, as I known as her on the time. She introduced her telephone along with her on the raft, which is a giant no-no for anyone who is aware of. You allow your telephone on the principle boat and are available get it while you’re finished. She was like, “No, I’ve a water-proof bag.” I instructed her to depart her telephone. She didn’t, and so she dunks herself within the water like everybody else, however she goes too far, and he or she flips over into the water, and her telephone falls out of her pocket and into the center of the ocean. She’s like, “No!” She tried to leap within the water. We’re like, “Lacey…” What you don’t perceive about water is, while you’re in a ship, if you happen to drop one thing, it’s miles away earlier than you even search for. She discovered it on her little app approach on the market in the course of the ocean. However she misplaced it perpetually. That was her welcome to the OBX second.
Are there any roles that folks can be shocked you’ve auditioned for?
I used to be nearly in Creed with Michael B Jordan. I learn for the primary Spider-Man film. I learn for Peter’s good friend, Ned. I’ve been attempting to attend for Miles Morales. They’re not doing Miles but, I promise you. As a result of in the event that they did, I might be at Sony headquarters in a heartbeat like, “Let me audition.” I needed that Transformers film that Anthony Ramos did. However aside from that, you are taking what you’re given. You retain shifting.
Outer Banks Season 4, Half 2 premieres on November 7, 2024.
Photographer: George Chinsee
Graphic Designer: Stephanie Cui
Stylist: Luca Kingston
Grooming: Jessica Smalls
