The creator ofDawson’s Creekbreaks bad withThe Waterfront, a new drama series coming to Netflix. The series tells the story of the Buckleys, a North Carolina family who must resort to desperate measures to keep their business afloat. The series is even inspired by true events, including the own life experience of its creator,Kevin Williamson, who was born in North Carolina to a fisherman.
The Waterfront’s Buckley family is brought to life by a group of fan-favorite and established actors led by Holt McCallany, Jake Weary, and Melissa Benoist. McCallany (Mindhunter, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning) plays Harlan Buckley, the patriarch of the family, while Jake Weary (Animal Kingdom, The Walking Dead: Dead City) plays his only son, Cole.Supergirlstar Melissa Benoistplays Bree Buckley, Cole’s sister.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke withThe Waterfrontstars Holt McCallany, Jake Weary, and Melissa Benoist about their work on the series. Picking up whereThe Waterfronttrailerleft off, the cast members discussed their expectations going into the project and what the Buckley family dynamic was like when the cameras were off. Plus, the cast reflected on bringing to life some of the show’s more action-heavy moments.
The Waterfront Cast Talks Becoming The Buckleys
“It’s So Rare That Everyone’s Personalities Just Click”
The Waterfrontcreator Kevin Williamson is something of a film and TV legend,having createdDawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries,and evenScream.But that’s not why Holt McCallany was interested in the project.“I had never seen Dawson’s Creek,”he said, although he revealed he once sparred series star Joshua Jackson at a boxing gym.“I had to just look at the script, then look at the character and project,”McCallany said,“and I knew right away this was something I wanted to do.”
“I also knew at the same time,”he continued,“that there were going to be a lot of very good actors who were interested in this role, so I wasn’t–to be very candid with you–tremendously hopeful that I would end up being the guy who got the offer.”
Kevin Williamson is so good at gathering and really curating a fantastic group of people.
When asked about her first impressions and expectations, Melissa Benoist recalled her first time hearing the script aloud alongside the rest of the cast.“The first table read we had was so exciting,”she said,“Kevin is so good at gathering and really curating a fantastic group of people. He’s responsible for launching so many careers, and he just understands, I think, chemistry and how to put the right chemical balance together in a cast. And that was really apparent to me in the first table read.”
“It’s so rare that everyone’s personalities just click,”Jake Weary added,“and it just makes the whole experience so much better when it does.”
Things Get Dark On The Waterfront
There Will Be A Body Count
As revealed byThe Waterfronttrailer, the Buckley family turns to selling drugs to ensure their financial future. And, as might be expected from such a pursuit, things get ugly. When asked which Buckley family member got best at dragging a body, Benoist replied“I was not good at it. I had to drag a body down the stairs [with Maria Bello]. We couldn’t get it to look right for a while. It was a funny time. We laughed a lot, but I wasn’t very good at it.”
“We had a hard time trying to get it over the lip of the boat,”Weary added. McCallany agreed, although he did clarify that“Neither of us killed him,”adding,“I won’t tell you who did.”
“We’re all very good at disposing bodies at this point,”Weary finished.
The Waterfront Cast Can Throw A Punch
“You Throw A Good Right Hand”
The Buckleys are not only disposing of bodies inThe Waterfront–they’re also taking a few hits of their own.“Jake punches me in the face at one point,”McCallany said,“and when I saw it back, I admired [his] form.”To Benoist, he added,“You throw a good right hand,”promising that Bree Buckley will dole out some punches as well. McCallany praised the actors for more than the look of their swings as well:“You would be surprised how certain actors can survive in this business for decades and not understand how to throw a simple punch. Suddenly they’re crippled or something.”
“My dad was a stage fight choreographer for a long time,”Weary explained,“and he used to make these home videos and would choreograph these crazy, long fight sequences with me and my brother. I think some of that really has come a long way and helped me a little bit.”
