The True Story Behind Netflix’s ‘The Waterfront’

On The Waterfront, things are more dangerous than they seem.

Netflix’s new drama The Waterfront — which premiered on June 19 and stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello and Melissa Benoist, among others — centers around the Buckleys, a powerful small-town family that’s forced to take some illegal risks to keep their North Carolina empire alive.

“They have this fishing business and this fish house, which is thriving and helps the town thrive. They have this restaurant, which employs so many people, and if it goes under, all those people lose their jobs and all those people lose their livelihood,” series creator Kevin Williamson told TV Insider in June 2025. “It has put so much pressure on them, and they’ve sort of crossed a line in their morality.”

Considering the dramatic plot, fans might be surprised to learn that The Waterfront is based on a true story. But they might be even more shocked to learn that it’s actually inspired by Kevin’s real life, including his father Wade Williamson’s imprisonment.

So what’s the real inspiration behind The Waterfront? Here’s everything to know about the true story behind the television show — plus, how it’s connected to the hit series Dawson’s Creek. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Waterfront!

Who are the Buckleys? 

In The Waterfront, the Buckleys dominate the economy of a small town with their fishing business. Not only do they catch and sell fish, but they also own one of the community’s most popular restaurants, where they serve the seafood they catch.

Unbeknownst to the locals, the family is actually struggling financially and is drowning in debt. To save his family, son Cane (Jake Weary) decides to start smuggling drugs on their fishing boat to earn money. But those choices cause the family to spiral out of control.

Is The Waterfront’s Buckley family real?

The Buckleys aren’t part of an actual North Carolina dynasty. However, in real life, Kevin’s family began to struggle financially in the 1980s, he told Netflix’s Tudum in May 2025. To make ends meet, his father Wade really did become a runner, using their fishing trolley to smuggle marijuana.

“The fishing industry sort of upturned in the ’80s – it all started to go away, and my dad couldn’t feed his family,” Kevin said. “So someone came along and said, ‘Hey, if you do this one thing, you can make all this money.’ And it was hard to say no to.”

But Kevin sees the move as a story of family loyalty. “My dad – a very, very good man – got tempted to do some things that weren’t so legal and got in some trouble. [But] it put food on the table, helped me go to college.” 

Kevin was inspired by his childhood when writing Dawson’s Creek, which aired for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. When speaking to TV Insider, Williamson said that he’d always wanted to tell the more sinister story of his youth — which would become The Waterfront.

“This is another side of me. This is the darker side of me,” he said. “Dawson’s Creek was sort of the coming of age, the teenage drama, the first love and all of that. I have always wanted to tell this story, too, but I wanted to wait until my dad died. I told him, ‘When you die, I’m gonna tell your story.’ He was always like, ‘Okay.’ ”

What happened to Wade Williamson? 

Kevin’s father was eventually caught and sent to prison for drug smuggling, he told TV Insider. In fact, Kevin even added that aspect of his real life into Dawson’s Creek — during the show, Katie Holmes’ character Joey revealed that her dad is in prison.

“If anyone’s a fan of Dawson’s Creek, in the very first episode, Joey Potter says, ‘My dad’s in prison for conspiracy to traffic marijuana in excess of 20,000 pounds,’ ” he told Tudum. “That was exactly my dad’s charge – that’s why he went to prison. He got caught, he served his time, he got out, and I graduated.”

In the show, none of the Buckleys end up facing legal repercussions for their actions.

Where is Wade Williamson now?

On Oct. 12, 2020, Kevin announced on Instagram that his father Wade had died.

“If you don’t know the greatest man in the universe, let me introduce Cap’n Wade Williamson,” he captioned two photos of his father. “A beautiful, gentle, wickedly funny, kind, call’s it like he sees it, fisherman. He spent his life making sure I had a better one. A king, a superhero, and my Dad.”

He continued, “I had the honor of being by his side when he passed tonight at 8:11 PM. I will miss him with all of my heart. I love you, Dad.”