Exclusive Interview: Ben Gavin Reflects on Derek’s Emotional Beyond the Gates Exit

Fans are still reeling from Derek Baldwin’s shocking death and actor Ben Gavin’s exit on Beyond the Gates. While we are confident that the show’s producers anticipated an impactful climax, no one could have predicted just how deeply the storyline has affected viewers.

During an exclusive interview with The Soap Scene, Gavin opened up about learning Derek would be killed off, filming the devastating final scenes, the overwhelming fan response, and why he believes the storyline resonated so strongly with audiences.

And yes — he also addressed the growing fan theories about Derek potentially returning someday as an evil twin.

“I Didn’t Realize the Magnitude”

Although Gavin filmed Derek’s final scenes months ago, he admitted reliving the storyline alongside viewers has been an emotional experience all over again.

“We filmed Derek’s final episode on January 9th,” Gavin shared. “So I’ve processed the whole thing and moved on and started working on something else. And now I kind of get to experience it all again, but this time with all the fans.”

What surprised him most was the sheer intensity of the audience reaction. “I knew it was going to be a big event, but I didn’t realize the magnitude that it was,” he said. “This hit people hard.”

That reaction, he explained, helped him better understand why the show made such a bold creative decision in the first place.

Learning Derek Was Going to Die

Gavin admitted he was blindsided when he first learned Derek’s story was ending. “I loved working on the show so much,” he said. “So when I got the news that Derek was dying, it was definitely a blow.”

The actor explained that, because Derek had largely remained outside the show’s blood plasma ring storyline, he never truly expected the character to be in serious danger.

“I wasn’t involved in all the plasma ring stuff,” he said. “So I didn’t feel like my character was in danger at all.” Still, looking back, Gavin now understands why Derek became the emotional centerpiece of such a major storyline.

“He was an innocent bystander who people had started to really care about,” Gavin explained. “I see creatively why this had to happen.”

According to Gavin, executive producer Julie Carruthers assured him the decision had nothing to do with his performance. “She told me, ‘We love you. This is going to be a massive storyline event.’”

And after seeing the audience reaction firsthand, Gavin can see she was right.

Filming Derek’s Final Scene

The emotional climax of Derek’s death storyline became one of the most talked-about scenes in Beyond the Gates history — and Gavin revealed just how personal the moment became for him as an actor.

When he first read Derek’s final line to Ashley, Gavin wasn’t entirely convinced it worked emotionally. “I think it was written as, ‘Don’t be scared. Love you,’” he recalled. Eventually, it was decided that a small adjustment would completely change the emotional weight of the scene: “It needed to be ‘I love you.’”

But the actor said the real breakthrough came when he found a deeply personal emotional connection to the moment. Gavin revealed that while filming the scene, he imagined seeing his young daughter as a grown woman for the very first time.

“My daughter is the most important thing in the world to me,” he said emotionally. “I imagined that I was being brought into the hospital in Derek’s condition and seeing my daughter as a full-grown adult right there for the first time ever.”

That emotional choice transformed the scene entirely. “When I saw Ashley, that’s what I was seeing,” Gavin explained. “That just put so much weight into those final words.”

The actor also praised scene partner Jen Jacob and the rest of the cast for helping make the final product feel painfully real. “I think the moment delivered exceptionally well,” he said.

A Sendoff He’ll Never Forget

While Derek’s death devastated fans, Gavin said the love and support he received behind the scenes made the experience unforgettable in the best possible way.

Actors who weren’t even scheduled to work that day showed up just to support him during his final scenes. “There were so many people who came that weren’t even working,” Gavin shared. 

Gavin specifically praised Sean Freeman (Andre Richardson, BTG) for organizing a memorable farewell celebration. “He was hell-bent on making sure we had the most epic sendoff celebration,” Gavin said, smiling warmly in recollection.

The actor also became emotional discussing the custom parking signs the cast and crew gifted him after filming wrapped. As shared by LaQuanda Plantt on Instagram, the cast and crew signed the signs. 

One of the signs had been there since the beginning: “Every day I’d come in, I’d have my parking spot and it would say ‘Reserved for Derek Baldwin.’” Gavin said that they presented him with an additional sign they had specially made that read, ‘Reserved for Ben Gavin.’” 

“I have them up in my, my office now, and I mean, that was really cool. I was really moved when they gave me that,” he shared.

Could Derek Return Someday?

Of course, soap fans immediately began speculating about whether Derek could somehow return to Fairmont Crest — and Gavin is well aware of the theories.

In fact, he said one of the show’s directors joked about the possibility almost immediately after filming his last scene. “He told me there’s always a chance you’re coming back as an evil twin,” Gavin laughed.

And honestly? Gavin sounds more than open to the idea. “I’d love to play a darker character,” he admitted. “Those roles are just more fun.”

The actor even revealed many crew members originally assumed Derek’s heartbreak storyline with Ashley was setting up a villain arc before the shocking death twist happened instead.

“A lot of people thought this was the start of Derek’s evil arc,” Gavin said. For now, he says he’s simply grateful fans connected with Derek the way they did.

Life After Beyond the Gates

Although Derek’s death marked the end of an important chapter, Gavin says Beyond the Gates completely changed his family’s life for the better.

After living in Los Angeles and moving to Texas following the pandemic, Gavin relocated his family to Atlanta because of the show — a move that unexpectedly opened new doors, both professionally and personally.

“We moved to Atlanta for a reason,” he said. “And we’re not going anywhere. We love it here.”

Gavin is now heavily involved in producing and acting in digital comedy dramas connected to comedian Kountry Wayne, alongside fellow Beyond the Gates star Ernestine Johnson (Shanice Johnson, BTG). “It’s become our full-time gig,” he said.

But despite his new opportunities, Gavin made it clear that Beyond the Gates will always hold a special place in his heart. “Every time I drive by the studio, I say thank you.”

Ben Gavin’s Message to the Fans

As the interview came to a close, Gavin shared a heartfelt message for the fans who embraced Derek from the very beginning.

“It was a dream come true to be part of it,” he said. “And it was a dream come true to be part of such a huge storyline in daytime.”

Even now, he still seems touched by how deeply viewers connected to Derek’s journey. And while fans continue campaigning online for Derek’s return — whether through flashbacks, dream sequences, or the now-famous evil twin theory — Gavin isn’t ruling anything out.

“In soaps,” he said optimistically, “anything is possible.”