Actor from Netflix series filmed in Cape Fear visits WWAY ahead of premiere

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Actor Brady Hepner stopped by the WWAY studio Monday to discuss his role in The Waterfront, a new Netflix series filmed in Wilmington and Southport and set to premiere June 19.

The Winston-Salem native, known for appearances in The Black Phone and The Holdovers, plays a teen named Diller in the family crime drama, which follows the powerful but unraveling Buckley family as they turn to illegal means to save their struggling business empire.

“It’s a really entertaining family crime drama,” Hepner said during an interview on WWAY News at 12:30. “They’re hiding a lot of internal demons… and they’re running out of money, so they have to find new ways—very illegal ways—to keep their empire running.”

The series was created by North Carolina native Kevin Williamson, whose past credits include Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Hepner said working on a project with Williamson was a career milestone.

“I’ve been watching most of his work for my entire life,” Hepner said. “To be a part of his legacy and share his stories with the world—it’s really a huge compliment.”

Hepner said he was originally told he was too old for the part, but casting directors later changed the character’s age to fit him. “They said, ‘You’re back in,’ and I had 36 hours to get to Wilmington,” he recalled.

The production shot last summer in Southport and Wilmington, with many prominent locations featured in the series.

Filming on familiar ground made the experience especially meaningful. “I grew up around here,” Hepner said. “And at the end of the day, you get to go to the beach after you wrap. Not a bad way to end the day.”

The Waterfront premieres June 19 on Netflix.