Locals all around Wilmington remembers James Van Der Beek

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– “He treated everybody the same, he had a really good heart and was a genuine human being,” said Trent Mongero, the head baseball coach at Wilmington Christian Academy.

Years ago, he worked alongside James Van Der Beek, when the actor served as an assistant baseball coach at Laney high school.

“He wanted to be around the field as much as possible, to get a feel as sense of what it was like to be in a dugout, in a bus, in a practice, learning the skills as I teach the kids,” said Mongero.

Van Der Beek, best known for his role on the hit show “Dawson’s Creek”, died on February 11th. In downtown Wilmington, fans created a memorial, leaving flowers, pictures, and candles to remember him.

Dale Williams, a producer on “Dawson’s Creek” says Van Der Beek always made time for people.

“He would just walk around downtown, and people recognized him. He was famous, but that wouldn’t stop him,” said Williams. “He would talk to people, take pictures with them, and sign autographs. He was very accessible, but that’s just who he was. He didn’t see himself as this unapproachable star.”

Meanwhile, Woody White, a former county commissioner, says he will always remember his interactions with the actor.

“He was the kind of guy that spent a lot of time here, and everybody felt like they knew him. He had a very unique impact on Wilmington,” said White. “ I did have an occasion to meet him a few times, like many people here in Wilmington met him, and there was something about him, just the moment you met him and talked to him, you knew was authentic,” said White.