Outer Banks Star Julia Antonelli Is Just As Obsessed With Beyoncé As You Are

In Elite Daily’s series Rent-Free, celebrities unpack the one thought, memory, or unforgettable pop culture moment that’ll always live in their head. In this piece, Outer Banks star Julia Antonelli talks about her love of Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance.

Julia Antonelli is used to playing characters in less-than-ordinary situations. The actor previously played preteen witch Jessie Novoa on Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way and the spinoff, WITS Academy. Now at 18, she co-stars on teen adventure drama Outer Banks as Wheezie, Sarah Cameron’s (Madelyne Cline) younger sister. But while her onscreen roles have been centered around magic and treasure-hunting, IRL, Antonelli is just over here obsessing over normal, Gen Z stuff. Most notably: Beyoncé.

“I've been a huge [Beyoncé] fan ever since I was young,” Antonelli tells Elite Daily. “My mom is a music buff, and so am I, and Beyoncé has always been such a prevalent person.” After Antonelli grew up with Bey’s hits playing in her home, it makes sense Beyoncé’s work, like her iconic 2018 Coachella performance, continues to take up permanent residence in the teen actor’s thoughts. “[Beyoncé’s] performance was legendary,” Antonelli says. “I mean, it was hours long, but every minute was just so exciting.”

In case you need a refresher, Queen Bey’s 2018 Coachella takeover included a Destiny's Child reunion and a duet with her hubby, Jay-Z — not to mention the fact that as the first Black woman to headline the festival, Bey made history. Her Coachella set was so epic, in fact, it still inspires Antonelli. “It gives me such energy [and] makes me want to get up and perform,” she says. “[Beyoncé] puts so much time and effort into what she does. ... I wish I could have [her] work ethic.”

Even though she might not be whipping her hair around onstage, Antonelli still channels her love for Bey through her Outer Banks character. “[Wheezie] definitely listens to Beyoncé ... 100%, for sure,” she says. “I feel like me and [Wheezie] would almost have a very similar music taste.”

That’s not where the similarities between Antonelli and Wheezie end, either. Antonelli says her relationship with her onscreen siblings, Rafe (Drew Starkey) and Sarah (Cline), is actually very sibling-y IRL. “They’re my people,” Antonelli says. “We tease each other and poke fun, but it’s all in good heart.”

Even though things are officially Not Great™ with the Cameron fam after Season 2, Antonelli is still hoping for a happy ending if the series is picked up for a third season. “I was going to say I hope my family makes amends with each other, but then I remembered that my father is a murderer. And so is my brother. So I take it back,” she says.

Antonelli thinks another way to make Season 3 the best yet is to get Wheezie more involved. “I know she’s a kid, [but] I feel like she can do some justice,” Antonelli says. “[Wheezie can] fight some crime.”

So, here’s an Outer Banks Season 3 prediction: A Wheezie car chase scene set to Beyoncé’s “Formation.” Got that, writers?

Outer Banks Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.