“She’s obviously got some unresolved issues”
I’ve seen Mia Challis transform into one of the cruelest villains I’ve ever seen on Netflix’s Outer Banks. One that fans have called “annoying,” “reckless” and even “unhinged.” In fact, several viewers have aired their grievances about her evil character, Ruthie, on TikTok and Reddit—and she knows this. But after spending 20 minutes in conversation with the woman who brings this terrifying villain to life, I can assure you that she’s nothing like her cunning character, which already speaks volumes about her acting skills.
PW had the pleasure of chatting with Challis, who was all giggles and smiles as she discussed Outer Banks season four,—which, according to Senior Editor of News and Entertainment Greta Heggeness, “introduces an entirely new adventure that appears far more dark and creepy”— her biggest hopes for Ruthie and her upcoming projects.
First of all, you are incredible on the show. You do such a great job of portraying the villain, even though your personality is so different. How do you typically get into such a dark character?
Mia Challis: Oh my gosh. I mean, yes, you’re right. Ruthie is the villain. She is so wild. And honestly, when I first got the [lines] for Ruthie, I only had her scene, so I didn’t have the full episodes or anything like that. I wasn’t super sure where she fit in. And then, getting to know her character a little more, I don’t think I’d met anyone quite like her. So, getting inspiration from real-life people…I’m like, ‘I hope people like Ruthie don’t exist out there.’ So, inspiration-wise, it was kind of all in the lines. The writers really wrote her this season to cause a lot of chaos and mix up the boat and just make the other characters very uncomfortable. That’s kind of Ruthie’s main objective. So it was honestly all in the writing. I was very lucky that I just kind of had to show up and be a bit bitchy. That was my job.
Do you enjoy transforming into Ruthie?
MC: Honestly, even though she is the villain, I find those characters so fun to play, and it’s an actor’s dream to go on set and play characters that are completely opposite to you. And I just had so much fun. In between takes, even like in the turtle scene, we’re all laughing and it’s so light. So watching it, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I actually feel affected, like I’m so upset at my character.’ So, the fact that everyone kind of resonated with that on TikTok makes me really happy. I’m like, ‘Okay, people know I’m an actor. That’s good.’
Do you think she has any redeemable qualities? Is there any hope for her going forward—assuming there are more seasons of Outer Banks?
MC: I am always gonna say that everybody has some sort of redeemable qualities. For someone like Ruthie, I hope so. I mean, I think she needs to get into therapy straight away. She’s obviously got some unresolved issues. But, yeah, I think her purpose on this show was also to show that Papa’s character is trying to be a better guy. And even though it might not come across that way, he is, you know, trying to be better. And I think Ruthie’s character is really there to show his growth. So I would also love to see Ruthie grow a little too. I mean, I think the writers would have to really sit there and think about how they’re going to do that.
Agreed, I think it would be more fascinating to see Ruthie’s journey take a positive turn.
MC: Yes I would love that. She definitely needs some more dimension to her, for sure.
I have to ask, have you read any wild fan theories about Ruthie or any other characters on the show?
MC: I actually haven’t yet, I haven’t seen anything other than TikToks being like, ‘Most Annoying Character goes to Ruth.’ I’m gonna go on TikTok and look, there’s gonna be a bunch more. I feel like, especially with Season part two of season four coming up, like, I feel like there’s gonna be no shortage of that. And Ruthie just gets more ruthless, so there’s a lot more to look forward to.
What was your absolute favorite scene to film?
MC: I mean, the turtle scene was just so iconic in the sense that I got to do most of my stunts. I had one stunt double who was amazing, and she did the part where she kind of swerves and misses the Pogues, but they actually allowed me to do most of the driving, which, I was so shocked. I was like, ‘Guys, are you sure?’ We had great stunt coordinators who helped me through it all, but it was the biggest four-wheel-drive truck I’d ever driven. I had never done a stunt like that before so personally, that was my favorite.
What was it like to film on the beach for Outer Banks?
MC: It was freezing when we were filming…so it’s so funny, because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s gonna be so easy.’ And we were all freezing on set. In between takes, we run into the cars that they have on standby for us [and we’re] shivering. So, you would think that it would be a nice summery show. But the hardest part, the hardest challenge, was pretending it was summer when it was actually like minus something.
How would you describe part two of season four?
MC: I would just say, if you thought Part one was wild, just wait. It amplifies by…I’d say 10. [It’s] quite wild.
Assuming you were on a real-life scavenger hunt, which Outer Banks character would you want on your team and why?
MC: Oh, I’d have to choose Pope. I mean, he’s so smart. He’s the one in the group that’s like, ‘Guys, let’s not spend all the money and all the gold that we have.’ I feel like you need brains in an operation like that, especially like a hunt based on logic. So, Pope. He’s for sure the smartest character.
Slight pivot here, but let’s say you’re given an opportunity to guest star in any TV show. Which one is it?
MC: Okay, first off, White Lotus. That would just be amazing. And then I also really love Succession. Those are my two favorite shows. [As for] why, I think the actors…every season, I’m like, ‘Gosh, these are like the pinnacle of actors.’ So I think I would just love to work with a cast and crew that established and that talented.
Any other exciting projects in the pipeline right now?
MC: I finished a movie right after Outer Banks called Killer Nurses, it’s on Tubi and the amazing Haley Duff directed that, which was so fun. I also just wrapped a film in Adelaide, in my home country, in Australia. So that’s really fun. It’s called Diabolic and it’s a horror that’s also very fun. I’ve done two horrors back to back. I think I’m getting into my horror era.
