Don’t cry because it’s over — smile because Jonathan Daviss (Pope Heyward) isn’t ready to let go of his Outer Banks castmates just yet either.

“I think it’s only a matter of time before we all do another project together,” the actor says during his episode of Outer Banks: The Official Podcast. “It’ll happen, I’m going to make sure it does.”

In the meantime, Daviss is preparing to say goodbye to the Pogues after five thrilling, sand-soaked seasons together. His main emotion? Gratitude. “I’m eternally grateful to everybody who watched, I’m eternally grateful to everybody who theorized, who made all the edits on TikTok,” he says. “That’s what you want from any artistic thing you make, you want people to engage with the show in any way they want to.” 

Way before the series turned into a cultural phenomenon — and P4L became part of our vernacular — Daviss was mainly excited about nabbing such a big acting job. “Nobody knew what this would be and what was going to happen,” he says. “You’re just enjoying achieving your dream more than anything… It’s a cutthroat industry, and not everybody gets to make it and to lead a show.” 

The actor first realized that the series had struck a chord during a routine grocery run to Ralph’s. “These girls came up to me and said, ‘You’re on Outer Banks.’ And I was like, ‘You watch Outer Banks?’ I didn’t think anybody in real life watched Outer Banks.”

Daviss says fans “built” the show when it was released during the pandemic, bringing their excitement (and fan theories) to the internet. In turn, the cast did Instagram Live sessions and eagerly engaged with their newly minted followers. “Because we were all inside, we were just trying to celebrate with each other in any way we could,” he says. “It’s a testament to [the fact that] people will find joy in even the bleakest moments.”

As the cast got deeper into filming, co-creator Jonas Pate marveled at Daviss’s commitment to his craft. “When we auditioned him, he might’ve been 17 or 18,” Pate says. “He grew up on the set of Outer Banks, and it has been such a thrill to watch him develop his artistic confidence.”

Pate adds, “Between a couple of seasons, he went and signed up for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and did Shakespeare in London onstage for a whole winter. He came back, and he was noticeably better as an actor… He literally got better every year. His star is rising fast, and he deserves it, because he’s such a hard worker and a good guy.” 

Chase Stokes (John B) shares that sentiment, telling Outer Banks: The Official Podcast’s host Ria Ciuffo how gratifying it’s been to watch Daviss “grow into his maturity as a man.” He also gives a hat-tip to their longstanding friendship, which offers a soft landing spot for plenty of honesty. 

“We always had a relationship where — if we don’t believe each other onscreen — we’ll tell each other, ‘I don’t know if that worked,’ or ‘Let’s try something else,’” Stokes says. “I know it’s sharpened my knife of a craft.”

Daviss also had the chance to watch his castmates develop, both on and off camera. “I saw everybody grow artistically, I saw everybody grow in their characters, I saw everybody grow in their work ethic,” he says. “I saw everybody just grow as people, experiencing life in different ways. It was true friendship.” 

As Daviss leaves Kildare Island behind, he has nothing but appreciation for the fans who have been with the Pogues throughout it all. “There is no show without the fans. Everybody supporting us and supporting these characters in the first season is what really brought the rest of the show to life,” the actor says. “I’m eternally grateful to everybody who watched.” 

“Love you guys so much,” he adds, directly addressing viewers. “Woogity, woogity, woogity.”

Watch all five seasons of Outer Banks on Netflix now.

Watch the Outer Banks Cast Discuss Where the Pogues Will Be in 10 Years