Exclusive | Kevin Williamson reveals how his dads sordid past inspired new crime drama The Waterfront: He paid the price

He’s back to his roots. Kevin Williamson, who first rose to fame creating “Dawson’s Creek,” is heading back to a waterside small town community with his new Netflix drama, “The Waterfront.” “It was sort of loosely inspired by my own family and my dad – and growing up in the ‘80s as the son of a fisherman,” Williamson, 60, exclusively told The Post. Premiering Thursday, June 19, “The Waterfront” follows the Buckley family, who preside over a fishing empire in the coastal North Carolina town of Havenport. In order to keep their business afloat, they’ve dipped their toes into the wrong side of the law – including smuggling drugs on their boats.The family includes hard-drinking patriarch Harlan (Holt McCallany, “Mindhunter”), his ambitious wife Mae (Maria Bello), and their adult children, recovering addict daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist, “Supergirl”), and washed up former football star son Cane (Jake Weary), who clashes with his dad and struggles to be a present husband to his wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell).Topher Grace plays a drug lord. Williamson said that his dad had some similarities to Harlan.

He explained that his dad was “a fisherman who got into a little trouble smuggling some drugs on his fishing boat.” “But it was really small time stuff,” he added.“He was caught and arrested.

He paid the price.” Williamson’s father is now deceased, but he said he told him that he was going to use his life as inspiration for a show.  “He always said, ‘Wait till I’m dead.’ But I do know my dad has a big sense of humor and I’m sure wherever he is, he’s happy knowing I did this show.”The “Scream” screenwriter said that his father was “the best man ever, and so I was like, ‘how did such a good man take a left turn?’ I feel like we’re in a world now where everyone has a side hustle….Everyone’s trying to survive and they’re doing what they can just to pay the bills.I really wanted to tap...