Locals gather in downtown Wilmington to remember James Van Der Beek

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– Locals gathered in Downtown Wilmington to honor the life of James Van Der Beek. Locals left a makeshift memorial between Market Street and Water Street, leaving flowers, a candle, and a photo of Van Der Beek.

Dale Williams, a producer on the show “Dawson’s Creek”, says Van Der Beek was always kind to the people of Wilmington.

“He would just walk around in 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 start.”