Outer Banks’ Brianna Brown-Keen pulls back the curtain on playing Hollis Robinson in season 4 (Interview)

Outer Banks season 4 part 1 ended with a few cliffhangers. We learned the true identity of JJ’s mother, and that Luke is not his real father — Chandler Groff is. It was also revealed that realtor Hollis Robinson is, at the very least, associated with Groff in the purchase of Goat Island. This partnership will be key to the unfolding of events Outer Banks season 4 part 2 on Netflix.

So who exactly is the actress behind the mysterious persona of Hollis Robinson? Show Snob had the opportunity to speak with actress Brianna Brown-Keen about joining the OBX world and gives us a little more insight into who her character is. Read on below!

Brianna Brown-Keen on joining the Outer Banks world

Show Snob: What initially made Hollis an attractive character to play?

Brianna Brown-Keen: When I read the character and I saw what was on [the script], the breakdown of where she was going, I was like, “Oh, this woman is dynamic.” She's strong. A strong female. She's a little cunning. And I knew there was room for it to go in lots of different directions.

Show Snob: Were there any challenges in portraying such a mysterious character?

Brown-Keen: I actually play a lot of villains. I tend to play more complicated characters. I like playing more complicated characters, which is so fun, because in real life, I'm really philanthropic and kind and generous. So to get to be cunning and ruthless, it's just fun to play things that are so far away from who I actually am in the world.

Show Snob: There's a lot of tension in the scenes between yourself and Drew Starkey. Did you work with him beforehand, or did you go into it without talking to make it more authentic?

Brown-Keen: Different actors like to prep in different ways. Some actors don't want to even rehearse. Some actors do, but the dynamic, you know, you're usually playing off moment to moment. And interestingly enough, the scene where he says that he's doing this for him and Sophia, [Drew] played it a handful of different ways.

Show Snob: Was there an extra layer of fun and enjoyment in this one, just because of the overall sense of adventure, treasure hunting, scheming and everything that goes into Outer Banks?

Brown-Keen: I think whenever there's a show that has a big budget and it lives in a big world, you're not just shooting everything in a studio. It was, obviously, really fun to go and shoot on a yacht, that being [Hollis’] home base. And then you’ll later see her condo, and just kind of her world. So it's fun to be out on locations and seeing what she's all about.

Outer Banks season 4 part 2 premieres Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 on Netflix.