James Van Der Beek Remembered by ‘The Gates’ Co-Star Algee Smith: ‘Great Leader’ (Exclusive)

“Extra” spoke to Algee Smith about his new horror film “The Gates.” The chilling plotline involves three friends (Algee, Mason Gooding, and Keith Powers) who take a detour and end up in a gated community, where things take a dark turn.

James Van Der Beek, who passed away on Feb. 11, plays a sinister pastor in what was his final film.

Smith shared, “I just want to send love to James’ family and to James… He was just such a great leader on set. We all just absorbed and learned from him so much and he was so giving and caring.” 

He went on, “He invited us into his RV that he drove down from Austin… He wasn’t staying in a regular hotel. He chose to stay in there. He just invited us in and he just had multiple conversations with us and that those are things that I’ll cherish forever. But, you know, I’m very happy that we get to honor him and releasing this film and standing side by side for him for his family.”

Algee added, “He played the role really well. It wasn’t too hard to get into character. He was so fluid that as soon as the cameras came on, he jumped right into it. But he cared about the work so much and the process of it. The things that he would care about before the cameras were rolling would make the scene better. And so, like I said, he was just a leader in that sense. But no, he made it really easy to tap in to the character for sure.”

Algee explained, “‘The Gates’ is a psychological thriller about three college guys who take a road trip… On their road trip, they end up having to take a detour… When they take this detour, they end up in a neighborhood where they end up witnessing a murder. And when they witness that murder, they are then blamed and hunted for that murder and they can’t make it out of this neighborhood. So, they’ve got to try and fight their way out.”

He continued, “It’s very scary… It’s actually real-life topics that we’re talking about in there that is kind of going on today and that are really current. And so that’s what makes it even scarier. The film itself draws you in, but the message that I think people will leave with is 100 percent better.”

On the messages, he shared, “The film is very important. The film touches on class and race and power ultimately being a deciding factor of where people belong or where they end up. And that’s the sad truth, and I think we’re just turning the mirror to society with that. So, I think there’s such a deeper message… a few deep messages in this film other than just the excitement of the film.”