The Gates stars Mason Gooding, Keith Powers and Algee Smith are sharing memories of working with their co-star James Van Der Beek, who recently died from cancer.
Gooding and Powers told Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor, Trey Mangum, how much they learned from Van Der Beek while working together on set. Gooding described the “immense good” Van Der Beek brought to the acting community and to him personally.
“Anyone lucky enough to work with him…I feel as though his expertise played into a lot of dynamics on set,” Gooding said. “It was always fair game to ask him questions or to talk about character and motivation. He always made himself available to dissect certain dynamics [in scenes].”
Mason Gooding recalls an emotional scene
Gooding also described one particularly emotional scene he shared with Van Der Beek.
“Sure enough, without missing a beat, [Van Der Beek] launches into the most compelling monologue you could ask for,” he said. “And I’m trying to keep up and make sure that I’m supporting him in a moment where his character is expounding on all these ideologies and thoughts, and I’m crying, and he’s pressing further under the drama and the scene wraps.”
“He puts his hand on my shoulder and he is like, ‘See? That’s acting.’ And I say the same thing every day…James, you took us to class. He did. And I’m eternally grateful for that, for both that experience and also just [the] education he provided us with.”
Keith Powers praises Van Der Beek’s dedication
Powers echoed Gooding’s comments, saying he paid close attention to Van Der Beek’s work ethic and presence on set.
“Him just being present on set and how he didn’t treat it like a complicated role in a little film. He just treated [it] as a role in doing something that he loved,” Powers said. “I could just see the attention to detail and how serious he was on set.”
“There were some days where he might get irritated on set, and it wasn’t out of malicious intent or just to be mean. It was just him trying to lock in and take the work serious, and I really appreciated that,” he continued.
Powers also noted how often Van Der Beek spoke about what mattered most in his life.
“And I just really love how he spoke about his family. …I understand just how significant [the role] was to him and understand that what we’re doing is such a privilege and is beautiful and is the cherry on top, but the things that really mattered, he made sure to show that on set and speak on that. I really appreciated that.”
Watch the full interview with Gooding, Powers and co-star Algee Smith below.
The Gates follows three friends whose road trip takes a terrifying turn when they become witnesses to a murder in a gated community. The residents blame them for the crime, but things escalate further when the charismatic patriarch of the community begins targeting them.
The Gates is now playing in theaters.