Before Ginny & Georgia made him a Netflix heartthrob, Felix Mallard actually missed his first big swing on the platform. Yep, long before playing Marcus, he was cast in another Netflix original that ended up scoring a solid 79% rating. But Mallard never showed up.
Whether it was timing, hesitation, or just a twist of fate, the opportunity slipped through his fingers. While the show moved on without him, Mallard eventually found his spotlight in Wellsbury. Still, it’s wild to think he almost broke out even earlier and with a totally different story to tell.
Felix Mallard bailed on Outer Banks, then ruled Netflix with Ginny & Georgia
Before Felix Mallard was stealing hearts as the brooding Marcus in Ginny & Georgia, he almost landed another Netflix breakout. The twist was that he never even showed up.
Mallard was once in the running to play John B in Outer Banks, the sun-soaked mystery thriller that’s now a teen cult favorite with a solid 79% Rotten Tomatoes score. But the gig ultimately went to Chase Stokes, who’s now synonymous with surfboards and treasure hunts.
Mallard’s near-miss came to light in a cast game for Ginny & Georgia Season 3 that aired on June 6. And let’s just say the cast didn’t hold back. While fans are diving headfirst into Georgia’s post-arrest drama and Ginny’s emotional reckoning, Mallard’s off-screen history is stealing a bit of that spotlight.
Outer Banks launched in 2020 and quickly built a devoted fanbase, and John B became the face of the Pogues. Had Mallard taken the role, both shows might’ve turned out very differently. But fate had its own plan.
Instead of chasing buried gold, Mallard ended up in Wellsbury, guitar in hand and eyeliner in place. And it worked out. Ginny & Georgia turned him into a Tumblr heartthrob with emotional depth.
Call it a missed chance. But Felix Mallard didn’t flop. He just found his lane later.
Chase Stokes almost flopped his shot at Outer Banks before beating Felix Mallard for the John B role
Chase Stokes almost flopped his way out of Netflix forever when he auditioned for Outer Banks, right in front of the same execs who watched him tank his shot at Stranger Things.
On the Podcrushed podcast, Stokes confessed he “absolutely effed up” his Stranger Things audition – forgot the lines, drove home in shame. So when he walked in to audition for Outer Banks and saw those same faces, it was pure panic.
“I thought, ‘Oh, I’m so screwed,’” Stokes recalled on the podcast. He even walked out, sat on a curb in Charleston, and broke down. That’s when creator Jonas Pate stepped in. He told Stokes, “Whatever version of you this is, I want to work with that kid.”
Stokes brought that raw emotion back into the room and won the role of John B, which Felix Mallard missed. Sometimes, the messiest moments turn into career-defining ones.
Watch Ginny & Georgia and Outerbanks on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
