Chase Stokes: 'Uglies' beautified look 'was definitely a jump scare'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Chase Stokes said his beautified appearance in the movie Uglies , on Netflix Friday, shocked him. The sci-fi film is about a world in which everyone undergoes a beautification procedure at age 16.

His character, Peris, sports blonde hair and golden eyes after his procedure.

"It was definitely a jump scare," Stokes told UPI in a recent phone interview. "I realize that blonde is not my cup of tea. I'm a dark-haired guy."

Stokes dyed his dark hair platinum blonde, "which in the long run turned out pretty disastrous. It was quite a bit of time in the hair and makeup trailer. "

He said the golden eyes were a computerized visual effect. Before Peris' procedure, Stokes wore a prosthetic nose to highlight one of the perceived flaws the procedure corrects.

"It was just a tiny little lump that they added to the bridge of my nose," he said. "So, it wasn't restrictive in any way."

Peris waits for his best friend, Tally (Joey King), to have her procedure three months after his. Before that, though, Tally discovers a society living in the woods that refuses to have the work done.

Based on the Scott Westerfield novel, the film is an allegory for modern-day judgments about appearance, Stokes said. The actor said he hopes society will value what's inside, so the government never has to mandate beautification.

"We are in a time in human existence where external beauty is such a focal point," he said. "I think we're starting to see a little bit of a shift of people really taking mental health seriously."

Stokes, 31, said he has been fortunate to avoid the kind of critical media scrutiny that plagues many actors.

He said he has been able to carve a path with roles that are "very transparent and honest and truthful to who I am as an individual, as a brother, as a partner, as a son."

Stokes acknowledged that his fellow actors have not all enjoyed the same freedom, and female actors could face even more judgments than men. Out of respect for them, he also did not wish to speak on their behalf.

"They all have their own experiences, some great and some pretty unfortunate," Stokes said. "It's not really my place to speak on other people's experiences or journeys."

Beyond the beauty theme, Uglies also represents a society based on conformity. The dystopian world cautions modern viewers against eliminating differences, whether in physical appearance or any other quality.

"It is a scary thought to think that to operate in society, there's a world where we have to all conform," Stokes said. "In my heart and soul, I hope that in my lifetime, if I have the opportunity to be a father, my children never have to face that reality."

Westerfeld wrote a trilogy of books, and the film leaves open possibilities for sequels. Stokes said he has no inside knowledge of such plans.

"I think Peris' future and the future of the Uglies universe is dependent on the audience," he said. "Hopefully, they enjoy this film enough to want to see more, and I sure as hell would love to continue to tell Peris' story."

Stokes remains in the Netflix family with the series Outer Banks . He said he has completed the fourth season of the show after filming for "an entire year."

Outer Banks is set on an island on which the Kook and Pogue tribes feud. Kooks are wealthy and Pogues are searching for treasure to help them rise in their stations.

Trailers for Season 4, premiering in two parts Oct. 10 and Nov. 7, show the Pogues finding a treasure and realizing that's not the end of their story. Stokes considers Outer Banks a social parable, as well.

"It's a message of friendship," he said. "It's a message of choosing your path, finding your tribe and sticking to what your gut tells you at times."