The Waterfront has docked at the top of the Netflix charts. Jake Weary plays Cane Buckley, the admittedly flawed son of Harlan (Holt McCallany) and Belle Buckley (Maria Bello). Cane, along with the rest of his family, goes to deadly lengths to save their empire from drowning.
In real life, Weary’s family is the complete opposite. Quite frankly, the only thing the Buckleys and Weary’s family have in common is their notoriety. Weary’s mom is Guiding Light soap icon Kim Zimmer, and his dad is actor A.C. Weary.
Turns out, The Waterfront creator Kevin Williamson was a huge fan of Guiding Light, especially Zimmer’s portrayal of Reva Shayne. “I know that he had made the connection before, but it was really sweet because I don’t think he knew that I knew he was a fan of my mom’s until we were on set one day,” Weary told TV Insider.
Weary continued, “He just finally opened up to me and shared his experiences and watching the show and how that was such an integral part of his childhood, and it kind of symbolized a connection that he had had with his family and sitting down in front of the TV and watching Reva Shayne just be an absolute hot mess of a character. Isn’t it funny how life can kind of just come full circle?”
Arthur L. Cohen / CBS / Everett Collection
Weary noted that Zimmer is his “biggest fan,” and she was excited to watch his new Netflix series. He gladly called himself a “mama’s boy.”
On top of The Waterfront, Animal Kingdom, the gritty family drama Weary starred in from 2016 to 2022, is having a resurgence right now. “She’s actually re-watching all of Animal Kingdom right now because it just came out on Netflix,” Weary said about his mother. “She is literally my biggest fan. She’s kind of the first person I talk to anytime something comes out because I don’t necessarily like watching my own performances.”
Given Williamson’s affinity for Zimmer, could we possibly see Weary’s mom on The Waterfront in a potential Season 2? “I’d love to work with her again,” Weary said, referring to the 2023 movie they both starred in, Bleeding Love.
The Waterfront, Season 1, Streaming Now, Netflix