The Wednesday, May 20 episode of “Beyond the Gates” saw the soap opera’s first on-screen death of a character portrayed by an original cast member, with Derek Baldwin, played by Ben Gavin, succumbing to his wounds after taking a bullet meant for Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges).
The fatal twist came as a shock to Gavin, who was informed of the decision to kill the character during a December 2025 conversation with executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers.
“They made it pretty clear this was something that they needed, and for the sake of the story, it couldn’t just be anyone. It had to be someone that they started to really care about to hook the audience, and I understood that,” said Gavin in an interview with TV Insider.
The shooting was the culmination of a months-long blood plasma sting operation storyline, which had Jacob working undercover as he sought the arrest of those behind the scenes.
During his conversation with Carruthers, Gavin shared, “She made it pretty clear that, ‘You’re gonna die a hero,’ and Derek’s got a hero complex, so it’s only fitting.” He noted, “I get the nature of it, but it didn’t make it any less difficult to swallow.”
Though he got the official word through Carruthers, Gavin admits in hindsight he wasn’t that surprised and could see things had shifted for the character beforehand,
“Derek didn’t have a family, didn’t have parents around, and he didn’t have a job, so I knew there was a chance of being an expendable character,” said Gavin of his character’s background, or lack thereof. However, he does credit the show’s writers for how they wrote for the character going into season two. “They really did a lot in the second season to boost the character’s value,” the actor said. “I’ve noticed the audience in the second season has turned for the better for Derek. He’s not a pushover anymore, which I appreciate.”
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As for his final scenes, which were shared with co-star Jen Jacob (Ashley Morgan), Gavin recalls the emotional turmoil his character was going through as he saw the end was nigh. “The very last shot I did was where I tell Ashley to not be afraid and that I love her,” Gavin said. “They really took their time with it, which I appreciate, because there are not many opportunities on a soap where we can really take our time with moments; it’s run and gun. So, I’m lying on this gurney, and I’m going through all the mental stuff before the shot, and then nothing’s happening, and I’m kind of like, ‘Alright, let’s do this.’ And then everyone came out onto the stage, and they said, ‘You’re wrapped.’”
Some of Gavin’s best memories were the friendships he formed with people from the show, like Jacob and Ernestine Johnson Morrison (Shanice Johnson), among others, and he’s open to a return as a possible twin or in a flashback sequence. “That’s my family, and they changed my life for the better. If they call my name, I’ll be there,” he says.
