Carlacia Grant stole scenes the moment Cleo stepped off the boat in Outer Banks season two — all nerve, wit and Nassau attitude. Because she plays a teenager among the Pogues, viewers constantly ask: how old is Carlacia Grant in real life?
This page answers with her verified birth date, then fills in the story: pageant stages in Florida, a debut in the Roots remake, a college degree finished in 2023, and the breakout that made her a series regular.
Quick Answer
Carlacia Grant is 35 years old in 2026. She was born on January 18, 1991, in New Haven, Connecticut, to a Jamaican father and a Haitian mother, and raised largely in Florida. Best known as Cleo in Netflix’s Outer Banks since 2021, she debuted in the 2016 Roots remake and earned her Florida State degree in May 2023.
TL;DR: Carlacia Grant, born January 18, 1991, in New Haven, is 35 in 2026 — a decade older than Cleo, the Pogue she plays on Outer Banks.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Carlacia Grant |
| Date of Birth | January 18, 1991 |
| Age (2026) | 35 |
| Birthplace | New Haven, Connecticut, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Education | Florida State University (B.S., 2023) |
| Known For | Cleo in Outer Banks (2021–present) |
How Old Is Carlacia Grant?
According to TV Insider’s Carlacia Grant profile, she was born on January 18, 1991, in New Haven, Connecticut — making her 35 years old in 2026, having turned 35 on January 18, 2026. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. (A handful of low-quality blogs circulate a 1997 date, but the 1991 birth date is the one carried by TV Insider and the consistent biographical record.)
The age gap between actress and character is part of the Outer Banks formula: Cleo is a teenager, while Grant — like Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline before her — plays down by more than a decade. Her maturity is an asset to the role; Cleo’s backstory of survival in Nassau needs a performer’s weight, not just a teen’s energy.
Carlacia Grant’s Path to Outer Banks
Grant was raised in Florida by her parents Karl Sr. (Jamaican heritage) and Carline (Haitian heritage), discovered acting at 13 in a summer theater camp production of Treasure Island — at her grandmother’s suggestion — and spent time as a pageant queen before pursuing the screen. Her television debut came in 2016 as Irene in the History Channel’s acclaimed Roots remake.
She followed with Leesha in Game of Silence and Danielle Turner across eight episodes of OWN’s Greenleaf, plus a 2021 guest spot on The Resident. Then came the November 2020 audition that changed everything: Cleo, introduced as a recurring character in Outer Banks season two (2021), proved so popular that Grant was promoted to series regular for seasons three and four. Along the way she finished what she started — graduating from Florida State University in May 2023 with a B.S. in Media and Communication Studies and a minor in English.
What Is Carlacia Grant Doing in 2026?
At 35, Grant is Outer Banks’ seasoned breakout: a core Pogue through the show’s final-season run, with the Roots-to-Netflix résumé and a completed degree behind her. She has spoken of wanting to stretch into thrillers and romantic comedies, and her combination of comic timing and dramatic grounding makes that range credible.
Her age, far from a trivia footnote, is the story: a performer who spent a decade preparing — pageants, summer camps, guest spots, night classes — and was fully formed when the breakout arrived. For more actor profiles, see our features on Jenna Ortega’s net worth and Scarlett Johansson’s net worth.
Why the Age Question Follows the Outer Banks Cast
Outer Banks built its cast the way teen dramas usually do — with adults. Chase Stokes was 27 when he debuted as 16-year-old John B; Madelyn Cline was 23 as Sarah. Grant, joining at 30, fit the pattern perfectly, and because Cleo arrived as a self-sufficient survivor rather than a schoolkid, her maturity reads as character rather than casting trick.
The question also persists because Grant guarded her biography early: no splashy profiles, a private personal life, and a résumé (Roots, Greenleaf) that younger-skewing Netflix audiences had not seen. The mystery made the birth date a genuine search — and 1991, not the 1997 some blogs claim, is the documented answer.
Carlacia Grant Beyond Cleo
Grant’s training shows in the small choices: years of pageants and summer theater gave her the poise, while the Florida State degree she completed in 2023 — mid-fame, between seasons — signals the discipline she brings to a set. She has said she wants thrillers and romantic comedies next, genres where a 35-year-old leading lady is perfectly cast rather than playing down.
She also carries her heritage visibly — Haitian through her mother, Jamaican through her father — in interviews and advocacy, part of a generation of Caribbean-American actors turning background into banner. Cleo made her famous; the career she is building suggests Cleo was the introduction, not the ceiling.
The Pogues’ Big-Sister Energy
Castmates describe Grant as the group’s grounding presence, and it shows in Cleo’s evolution — from lone-wolf deckhand to the Pogue who keeps everyone’s head when the treasure hunt turns dangerous. The writers leaned into what the actress brought: an adult steadiness that lets the younger characters be reckless around her. It is why Cleo’s fan following skews older than the show’s teen core.
That dynamic is the final answer to the age question fans keep asking. Grant is not hiding her 35 years; she is deploying them. Cleo works because a grown woman is playing her — and the career Grant is building on the other side of Outer Banks is being built by that same woman, degree in hand and a decade of craft behind her.
A Career Built to Outlast One Role
The wisest detail in Grant’s story might be the timing of her education: finishing a bachelor’s degree at Florida State in 2023, in the middle of a hit show’s run, is not something a performer does for a résumé line — it is the act of someone building a life and a career designed to last far longer than any single role, and it mirrors the patience of her whole path, from a grandmother-suggested summer camp at thirteen through Roots, Greenleaf and years of guest spots before Cleo arrived.
At 35, with a flagship Netflix credit, a completed degree and a fanbase that followed her character from recurring guest to core Pogue, Carlacia Grant has positioned herself exactly where durable careers begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Carlacia Grant?
Carlacia Grant is 35 years old in 2026; she was born on January 18, 1991.
When is Carlacia Grant’s birthday?
Her birthday is January 18 — she turned 35 on January 18, 2026.
Who does Carlacia Grant play in Outer Banks?
She plays Cleo Anderson, the resourceful Nassau survivor who joins the Pogues; she joined in season two (2021) and became a series regular.
Where is Carlacia Grant from?
She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised largely in Florida, to a Jamaican father and Haitian mother.
How tall is Carlacia Grant?
She is listed at 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm).
Conclusion
Carlacia Grant is 35 years old in 2026, born January 18, 1991, in New Haven, Connecticut. A decade of preparation met one perfect role — and Cleo’s portrayer is only getting started.