Who plays Ward Cameron in Outer Banks?

When our favorite characters in the hit Netflix original teen drama series Outer Banks say “Pogues for life,” there’s one guy in particular trying his best to break our faves apart: Ward Cameron.

As the main villain of Outer Banks, Ward Cameron acts as the frequent foil of John B (Chase Stokes), the fearless leader of the Pogues attempting to track down the legendary treasure that’s connected to his father’s disappearance. Not to mention, John B is dating Ward’s daughter.

Whether you love to hate Ward Cameron or hate to love him (though we’re not sure why you would root for the bad guy when the Pogues are right there), you have to admit that the actor that brings the antagonist to life does an excellent job at grinding our gears to a pulp.

So, who plays Ward Cameron in Outer Banks? If you’re wondering who the actor is behind the baddest Kook in OBX and where you might have seen him previously, we’re dishing out everything there is to know about Ward’s portrayer (and maybe sharing some sneak peeks at season 2).

Who plays Ward in Outer Banks?

Actor, comedian and musician Charles Esten plays the wealthy but criminal businessman Ward Cameron in Outer Banks. Like his on-screen counterpart, Esten is a father of three with wife Patty Hanson, whom the actor married in 1991.

You may have seen Charles Esten in a number of popular television titles throughout the years, including six seasons of the hit ABC/CMT drama series Nashville alongside Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere and the Disney Channel hit Jessie starring Debby Ryan.

Esten has also been a featured performer on Whose Line Is It Anyway? since 1999 and returned for The CW‘s revival in 2017. Beyond his other work on TV and in music, most now know him best as the OBX villain rather than the good guy Deacon on Nashville.

Ward will be back in Outer Banks season 2 to continue making the Pogues’ lives a little harder. But how will things shake out in the wake of John B and Sarah’s disappearance and the messy (and deadly!) fight for the gold? Check out season on July 30 only on Netflix.