In ‘The Waterfront,’ ‘Dawson’s Creek’ creator Kevin Williamson returns to his gritty roots

Half a century ago, Kevin Williamson received a typewriter from his mom at the age of ten. This machine was an excellent present for a boy who cherished storytelling, but he was unfamiliar with its operation, so he put it aside and continued using his reliable spiral notebooks instead.

With a pen as his tool, he wrote sequels for “Jaws”, “The Towering Inferno”, and an imagined series for “The Six Million Dollar Man”. By the point when he reached high school in Pamlico County, N.C., Williamson’s written stories were causing him issues. One particularly grisly story about a date rape and a quarterback who lost his arm earned Williamson a visit to the counselor’s office.

Reflecting on it now, I admit that it might have been a bit daring for a classroom setting,” he acknowledged. “In essence, I was simply a step ahead.

In the initial phase of his career during the ’90s, Williamson’s screenplays, brimming with a passion for horror, were evident in the high-school slasher films like “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. However, it was on “Dawson’s Creek” where his more subdued adolescent experiences, the ones he lived through beyond his creative pursuits, found expression.

In the semi-autobiographical melodrama that Williamson produced and directed during its initial two seasons, he revealed aspects of his personal growth in a small town, narrated by a group of good-looking teenagers who often engaged in intelligent discussions and experienced romantic desires.

In an email, James Van Der Beek, who played the lead role of Dawson, stated that Kevin seemed like a friend eager to create a film in his own backyard. The way he presented storylines wasn’t a formal pitch; instead, it was like sharing heartfelt tales about people he cherished, weaving them into captivating narratives that made you care for those characters as well.

With his upcoming Netflix show, “The Waterfront,” set to debut on Thursday, Williamson is returning to familiar ground, revisiting his personal past and delving into a character-focused production – much like the kind that brought him initial television fame.

Both “Dawson’s” and “The Waterfront” were filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, a place not far from where the filmmaker’s family originates. They share similarities such as scenes under the dappled sunlight, work-related discussions at seafood eateries, and heartfelt confessions on porches. The narrative delves into class differences, and boats gently sway in marinas while characters wrestle with their personal ethics and existential questions.

However, in “The Waterfront,” Williamson’s primary characters consist of a multigenerational group of adults whose lives are more polished and raw compared to what viewers recall from the young cast of “Dawson’s.” Additionally, at 60 years old, Williamson is no longer considered a newcomer or up-and-coming figure in the industry.

“I can’t sit around and tell teenage stories all my life,” Williamson said. “I need to grow up.”

In simpler terms, “Dawson’s Creek” reflects the wide-eyed, small-town dreaming phase of Williamson’s life, idolizing Steven Spielberg and aspiring to make it big. On the other hand, “The Waterfront” delves into a more complex and murky part of his family history.

1983 saw Williamson’s freshman year at college, during which his father, Wade, was taken into custody for his involvement in a complex drug smuggling operation. This operation utilized fishing vessels to transport vast amounts of illicit drugs along the North Carolina coastline. The primary charge against Wade was conspiracy to distribute more than 20,000 pounds of marijuana (interestingly enough, this is the same offense that “Dawson’s Creek” character Joey Potter’s father was charged with).

For quite some time now, I’ve been eager to share this tale,” Williamson mentioned. “And my father advised, ‘Wait until I pass away, then have Kevin Costner portray me.’

During the 2010s, Williamson was busy writing multiple supernatural and crime series such as “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Following.” However, following his father’s death in 2020, he shifted gears to craft a story inspired by his father’s life, titled “The Waterfront.

The Buckley family makes an appearance: Head of the household Harlan (portrayed by Holt McCallany, who shares a stronger resemblance to his father than Costner), wife Belle (Maria Bello), and their adult children Bree (Melissa Benoist) and Cane (Jake Weary). This family from North Carolina manages their fishing business through illicit dealings in a drug network. The situation becomes more intense as they trade opium, not just marijuana.

Danielle Campbell, who portrays Peyton (Cane’s wife), shared that one thing she admires most about Kevin is his knack for crafting characters who commit wrongdoings but ultimately strive for redemption. This insight was gained from their past collaboration on the thriller series “Tell Me a Story,” which Danielle was also involved in.

Additionally, there are characters who are clearly antagonists. In “The Waterfront,” Topher Grace plays Grady, a malevolent drug lord, a character tailored expressly for him by Williamson. This is quite a departure from the wholesome neighbor character he portrayed in “That ’70s Show,” which brought him fame alongside the cast of “Dawson’s.

Grace shared, “It was incredibly tasty and well put together. Plus, I’ve always admired Kevin, so I was eager to collaborate with him. However, liking someone’s work doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy working with them.” After filming his episodes, which featured a scene where Grady gleefully endured jellyfish torment, Grace breathed a sigh of relief. “They say in a restaurant, ‘Perfect score. I couldn’t recommend higher.’

Among a family of fishermen, it was Williamson who broke new ground by attending college. He attributes part of this achievement to the prosperity of his father’s clandestine enterprise. Although the funds fell short of his ambition to attend NYU, they opened a door to a scholarship at East Carolina University. There, as a thespian in high school, he majored in acting and learned the Meisner technique. Post-graduation, he relocated to New York with aspirations of pursuing professional acting, all while penning plays during his leisure time.

Speaking about his journey, he expressed, “Heading to New York City – it was nerve-wracking.” Since no one from our tiny hometown had ever made it, he questioned the odds and considered a safe choice: working at the local newspaper as a small-time reporter for the Pamlico News. Yet, that fear also propelled him out of town; he was petrified of falling short in his endeavors.

In the early 1990s, he landed a few minor acting gigs, such as episodes on the soap opera “Another World” and the comedy series “In Living Color.” However, he soon realized that acting wasn’t his calling. Instead, he was drawn to writing, directing, and producing, which he saw as aspects connected to actors but more in line with his interests. As he put it, “Acting wasn’t my thing; I wanted to be involved in the other facets of storytelling.

Instead of working as an assistant to director Paris Barclay, Williamson was offered a job in Los Angeles. During this time, he also enrolled in a screenwriting class at UCLA on the side. As his love for writing grew – it was during this extension course that he penned the screenplay for “Teaching Mrs. Tingle” – his interest in assisting Barclay started to fade.

Williamson admitted that he was let go, justifiably so. After exhausting his unemployment benefits, he found himself in a difficult situation, struggling with hunger. He resorted to borrowing money from friends and taking on odd jobs like dog walking and house sitting to cover his rent expenses. Eventually, he managed to sell a script, marking the end of a 10-year journey that seemed sudden but was actually decade-long.

1996 saw the release of “Scream,” a film directed by Wes Craven, which drastically altered the landscape. This chilling movie not only surpassed its contemporaries in the slasher genre as the highest-grossing at that time, but it also sparked an intense interest among studios to delve deeper into the works of writer Kevin Williamson. Subsequently, a series of horror productions emerged, such as “Scream 2,” “The Faculty,” and one that resonated more personally: “I Know What You Did Last Summer.

In “Last Summer,” the murderer, who operated primarily around Southport, N.C., and whose filming took place in the area, is a fisherman who uses a fish hook as his preferred method to murder teenagers. Could this be a symbol of Williamson’s own apprehensions about being ensnared in the family business? Upon reflection, Williamson stated, “Ah, yes, I suppose this could be my subconscious warning that a career in fishing might suffocate me.

In my perspective, what links Williamson’s passion for horror movies to his childhood experiences is a unique sort of apprehension. He explained this as a closeted gay child, constantly fleeing from acknowledging the truth about himself.

He stated, “I embodied the final girl character, much like Jamie Lee Curtis’s role as Laurie Strode. Growing up, I often felt out of place, a gay kid in a small conservative Southern town. It seemed I was constantly struggling to survive each day. I hailed from an era when being openly gay was still taboo in the South, and I lived in constant fear of revealing my true self.

Initially, even though “Dawson’s Creek” was picked up by the WB in 1996 and Williamson was urged to draw from his personal experiences for content, he initially hesitated to create a character who identified as queer.

From the start, he desired to include a gay character on ‘Dawson’s Creek.’ However, the same Kevin who found it difficult to move away from North Carolina, was also hesitant about suggesting a gay character for his series.

Instead, the primary romantic conflict in “Dawson’s Creek” revolved around the heterosexual dilemma of whether Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) would end up with Dawson Leery or Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson). Interestingly, the creator of the show, Williamson, deliberately gave Joey a masculine nickname as a subtle hint about his own sexuality.

In Season 2, when the network requested an expansion of the “Dawson’s” cast, Williamson was prepared to introduce Jack McPhee, a character who was secretive about his sexuality at first and dated Joey before openly identifying as gay. Later, he made television history by sharing a significant kiss with another male character on screen.

Holmes mentioned, “I recall seeing the sequence where [Jack confessed to his father], and it made me cry. As a spectator, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud of their performance and the scriptwriting by Kevin. It was fantastic!

Skipping over approximately two and a half decades, “The Waterfront” introduces Shawn, a charming and queer character, who secures a position as a bartender at the Buckleys’ seafood eatery. The actor portraying Shawn is Rafael L. Silva, but his sexual orientation is subtly hinted, and his romantic relationship with his boyfriend remains largely unaddressed.

Williamson expressed relief that in today’s storytelling, being gay no longer makes headlines. Instead of focusing on characters coming out, he emphasized exploring their roles and relationships within their families, stating that this aspect is more significant and not related to sexual orientation.

Nevertheless, Williamson found himself emotionally affected as he spoke about the influence his work has on younger generations of LGBTQ+ fans. “So many have approached me and shared, ‘You’re the reason I became a writer,'” he stated, struggling to hold back tears. “I’ve been inspired by countless others, so if I can inspire someone else in return, I wholeheartedly embrace that possibility.

Those who’ve teamed up with Williamson throughout their careers frequently commend his cooperative spirit and casual accessibility, both in front of and behind the camera.

At the tender age of 18, Holmes was chosen to play Joey, the witty girl living next door on “Dawson’s Creek.” She reminisced about Williamson being particularly watchful over her and her fellow actors during their initial brush with fame, ensuring they arrived home safely when attending events and offering valuable insights for character development during breaks in filming.

Holmes remarked, “His level of care was immense then, and it remains just as profound now.” This sentiment, I imagine, is what viewers may have sensed while watching the series – a genuine sense of caring for one another. It was Kevin who established this standard.

Overcoming the “overly intellectual language” that Williamson used in “Dawson’s” for teenagers, which later became a distinctive feature of the show, turned out to be quite difficult.

As a movie enthusiast, let me confess, I stumbled over words in every single take during rehearsals, and it often left me feeling embarrassed. To this day, just the thought of those read-throughs sends a shiver down my spine. “Oh my goodness,” I find myself thinking, “please don’t let me slip up again.” It was quite the learning experience, though.

Despite Sony’s executives wanting to relocate “Dawson’s Creek” to Massachusetts due to concerns it might be too Southern in appeal, the show was actually filmed around Wilmington, North Carolina, where EUE/Screen Gems studios (now CineSpace studios) were located.

As a devoted admirer, I’d express it like this: Throughout their journey to magazine covers and numerous Teen Choice Award nominations, they largely managed to stay out of the spotlight and avoid the allure of fame during our extensive filming of over 20 episodes.

Van Der Beek humorously remarked that Wilmington kept us all from landing in jail. Unlike Hollywood, where many are ensnared, we found ourselves jet-skiing to Masonboro Island and spending our weekends with the crew. It was possible to behave like a self-entitled brat, but if you did, your weekends would be lonely.

The impact of Williamson, for the “Waterfront” cast, remained palpable throughout Wilmington and its vicinity. Posters showcasing his past productions continue to adorn downtown stores with pride, and the local tourism portal provides a DIY tour guide for visiting “Dawson’s” filming spots.

Actress Benoist, recognized for her work in “Supergirl” and “Glee,” spent her youth admiring “Dawson’s Creek” and harbored a childhood infatuation with Van Der Beek. As she portrayed Bree on “The Waterfront,” she labored on the same soundstages that previously hosted “Dawson’s” sets and walked on the exact locations where memorable “Dawson’s” scenes were filmed in the past.

She noted that it wasn’t long before it was evident that Kevin essentially manages the city, as it feels like an extension of him,” or simply, “She pointed out that it didn’t take much time to realize that Kevin is a key figure in running the city, as it feels so much like his own.

These days, Williamson is mulling retirement. But not seriously.

Lately, he has taken charge of “Scream 7”, marking his debut as director for this franchise he initially established. As part of a broader agreement between him and his production company, Outerbanks Entertainment, and Universal Television, adaptations of the movies “Rear Window” and “The Game”, along with Ruth Ware’s novel “The It Girl”, are currently under development.

Among the dreams I’ve yet to fulfill, meeting my filmmaking idol, Spielberg, tops the list. Residing in Los Angeles with my husband, the esteemed actor Victor Turpin, our paths have not crossed, despite our shared city. Once, I found myself seated behind him at a movie premiere, but all I could truly appreciate was the back of his head. To me, he’s like a divine figure, and I believe one should only approach such revered individuals when they feel ready to do so.

Additionally, he’s eager to pen a crime drama inspired by yet another true-life event within his family, specifically a “domestic murder” involving his mother.

“I still have so many stories I want to tell,” he said. “I just have to figure out how to do them.”

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2025-06-17 13:33