Interview: Ben Gavin Spills Soap Secrets -Playing Derek on Beyond the Gates Is a Whole Vibe

If you’re not watching Beyond the Gates, what exactly are you doing with your weekday afternoons? CBS’s new fan-favorite soap is full of emotional chaos, workplace drama, and relationships that are more tangled than a pair of earbuds in your pocket. At the center of it all? Derek, the firefighter with a heart of gold and a magnet for messy love triangles.

Actor Ben Gavin joined the Soap Wire Podcast, brought to you by The TV Cave, and gave us a juicy behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like stepping into daytime TV. From lightning-fast filming to romantic whiplash, Gavin held nothing back — and honestly, we love him for it.

“I Was Kind of Like a Deer in the Headlights at First”

Ben Gavin doesn’t sugarcoat it: soaps are wild. “This is definitely my first opera — uh, soap,” he joked, catching his accidental slip. “But it was an adjustment. I'm not gonna lie, because the pace was so fast... you're coming in and shooting the scenes one, two, and we're out, moving on.”

Coming from a film background, Gavin was used to long days and multiple takes. “Yesterday I shot seven scenes,” he said. “My call time was 7:30 in the morning, and I was out the door by 11:30. On a film set, that’s absolutely unheard of.”

Still, he’s fully adapted to the grind. “Now I'm in the groove, you know? And I love it so much.”

Love Triangle: Derek’s Chaotic Romance

You can’t talk about Derek without addressing the situation with Ashley and Shanice — and yes, Ben Gavin has thoughts. “Shanice has been dropping little hints throughout the early part of the season,” he explained. “She definitely did [pounce] quickly.”

As for who Derek really wants? “If you were to give Derek some truth serum… I truly believe it’s Ashley,” Gavin admitted. “He wants that family life. He wants that one woman. And he wants to have a family, and he wants to have his job, and he wants to keep all that stuff.”

Cue the collective sigh from the fans — the ones who aren’t busy yelling at Ashley for flirting with Andre.

“Oh, I’m not gonna lie,” Gavin said with a laugh, “Ashley was blatantly flirting. I mean, I would kind of be like, tell me about it!”

He also teased that Derek may be suspicious, even if he doesn’t have proof yet. “There are conversations that Ashley's having with Andre... Derek doesn't have anything tangible to say, ‘Hey, what is happening here?’ So it's just kind of this burning little thing in the back of his head.”

Firefighter Life Deserves More Screen Time

If you’re wondering why Derek is always at the hospital and never actually fighting fires, you’re not alone — Ben Gavin wants answers too. “There's a lot of talk about him being a firefighter,” he said. “There's not much other than, like, getting injured with that concussion early on.”

Looking ahead to Season Two, Gavin hopes to showcase more of Derek’s job. “Before Ashley, his whole life was at the station. These guys, they risk their lives together. There's a bond there. And I think Season Two has a lot of room for that to be discovered.” He even teased the arrival of more firefighter coworkers. “They have brought in some more of the firefighters. I don't think that's breaking any rules,” he said, grinning.

Setting Boundaries and Playing with Fire

Gavin’s also ready for Derek to toughen up. “I want him to be able to kind of draw a line, like, ‘Hey, this is who I am and this is what I want.’ I want him to set the standard.”

Will there be drama? Oh, you know there will. “There’s some stuff coming up that definitely will put a hitch in that,” he teased.

“But he starts making his way and being more committed to what he truly wants.”

And yes, he’s heard the fan theories. “Someone said Derek's going to burn Ashley's house down and then come in and try to save her,” Gavin said, cracking up. “That is a stretch. That would be very soapy. But hey, I don't think anything’s off the table.”

Final Take: Ben Gavin Is in His Soap Era and Thriving

From fumbling his way into soap speed to fully embracing the wild ride that is Beyond the Gates, Ben Gavin is clearly having a blast — and it shows.

Whether Derek ends up saving lives or setting things on fire (figuratively, we hope), he’s quickly becoming one of the most compelling characters on the show. And with Season Two on the way, we’re just getting started.

Check out our full interview:

Want more BTS dish? Follow the cast on TikTok, binge the Soap Wire Podcast, and tune into Beyond the Gates weekdays on CBS. Just don’t blame us when you start yelling at fictional characters like they’re your ex.