You may have seen his face in 'Outer Banks' as fan favorite JJ Maybank, but how much do you know the actor behind the beloved character?

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/get-to-know-outer-banks-star-madison-bailey">Outer Banks</a> is one of the most popular shows on Netflix. The series has helped several young actors become superstars, elevating their careers and earning these stars critical acclaim. Rudy Pankow is one of the supporting players on Outer Banks. In his role as JJ Maybank, Pankow has garnered positive reviews from fans and critics alike, marking the beginning of a successful <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/mike-faist-facts-you-should-know-challengers-actor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acting</a> career.&nbsp;
With more and more fans anxious to learn about the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/get-to-know-outer-banks-star-madison-bailey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">young star</a>, L'OFFICIEL has curated a few things you probably didn't know about Pankow.

Rudy Pankow Was Raised in Alaska

Pankow might play a young man who's comfortable at the beach, but in reality, he was born and raised in Alaska. Born in Ketchikan in 1998, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/rudy-pankow-outerbanks-breakout-actor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pankow</a> was active in sports and theatre while in school. With an older brother and a younger brother, Pankow knew early on where his interests lay. As a teenager, Pankow got involved in acting projects, gaining the experience he needed to land larger and larger roles.

Rudy Pankow Has Extensive Theatre Experience

Pankow started out as an actor in short films, appearing in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/emma-chamberlain-style-fashion-louis-vuitton-cartier-virgil-abloh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a> productions and independent movies. He also started acting in television roles, including on shows like The Politician and Solved. In 2020, Pankow was cast in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/outer-banks-season-4-netflix-details-release-date-cast-trailer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outer Banks</a>, marking his first major mainstream role.
Pankow was able to draw connections between his life in Alaska and the world depicted in the show, <a href="https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2020/04/29/rudy-pankow-outer-banks-jj/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noting</a>, "The two places are fairly similar. Both are fishing, tourism towns. The biggest difference is the temperature." He shared that the convivial personality of the townspeople make it easy for him to relate to his character of JJ and to better understand how small towns operate.

Rudy Pankow is Fine With Getting Typecast

In the years since landing Outer Banks, Pankow has acted in several other major productions. Most notably, he portrayed Young Sam in the 2022 release Uncharted. The movie, starring <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/tom-holland-zendaya-relationship-timeline-spider-man" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Holland</a> and Mark Wahlberg, shares some similarities to Outer Banks, something that isn't lost on Pankow. "(My rep said) you're going to get the treasure-hunting pigeonhole,'" <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/rudy-pankow-uncharted-outer-banks-sesaon-3-1235102345/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pankow said</a>. "And I was like, 'You know what? That's fine with me.' So it didn't actually come up (during casting), but I'm sure (the filmmakers) did see it. I'm sure they were like, 'Okay, he knows how to play a treasure hunter.'"
Through it all, Pankow has remained humble and approachable. He's also retained a close relationship with his Outer Banks co-stars. Admitting that he's formed tight bonds with many in the cast, Pankow said that the sudden wave of popularity hasn't changed the atmosphere on set at all. "Everyone handles that on their own, and we all respect each other's routes and how they want to handle that," the young actor revealed. "But when it comes right down to it, the set feels the exact same. We do what's asked of us, and we do our very best." For Pankow, who's just getting started in Hollywood, the coming years promise to be even better.

3 Things You Didn't Know About 'Outer Banks' Actor Rudy Pankow

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