- - Joshua Jackson Called James Van Der Beek ‘The One Everybody Loves to Love’ After “Dawson’s Creek” Premiered

Victoria EdelFebruary 12, 2026 at 7:33 AM

0

James Van Der Beek (left) and Joshua Jackson in 'Dawson's Creek'

Alamy

James Van Der Beek's Dawson's Creek costar Joshua Jackson called him 'the one everybody loves to love' just months after the hit series premiered

But Van Der Beek told PEOPLE at the time that he tried not to mistake himself for Dawson

Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48 after sharing in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer

James Van Der Beek became an instant fan favorite when Dawson’s Creek hit the airwaves.

Van Der Beek, who died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48, starred as the titular Dawson Leery on the beloved teen drama. The series premiered Jan. 20, 1998, as a mid-season replacement on The WB, but the show quickly became a massive fan favorite, especially with teens.

Ahead of the show’s second season premiere in October 1998, Van Der Beek spoke to TEEN PEOPLE about how the series affected his life, and his costar Joshua Jackson — who played his on-screen friend Pacey Witter — also weighed in.

"He's the one everybody loves to love," Jackson, now 47, said. He and Van Der Beek were also roommates during filming in Wilmington, N.C. (which stood in for the fictional Capeside, Mass.). “I don't have to worry about throngs of girls. That's more James's thing,” he added.

The cast of 'Dawson's Creek.' From left: Meredith Monroe, James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Kerr Smith

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

But Van Der Beek didn’t think that fans loving Dawson meant they should feel any type of way about him. “I honestly don't see how someone could get a big ego out of it, because it's not you,” he said.

Though the show was criticized by some as too sexy, Van Der Beek also didn’t agree with that. He told TEEN PEOPLE Dawson was “the antisex symbol.” He added, “He's not the kind of guy who runs around with a gun, kills [bad guys], then sleeps with the woman at the end. He'd probably totally screw it up andshoot the wrong person. But he'd be totally earnest while doing it."

He also spoke to PEOPLE in March 1998, just weeks after the show premiered, and reflected on TV critics who thought the high school series was too sex-obsessed. "It's been adults mainly who have the problem," he said. "No one under 20 has said, 'That's too much sex; that's not the way it really is.' "

Michelle Williams, who played Jen Lindley on the series, also praised Van Der Beek to PEOPLE that March. "James has a Cary Grant quality," she said. That May, PEOPLE named him one of our 50 Most Beautiful People and Williams, now 45, explained of his charm, “James is very graceful and unassuming. A very smooth, even, cool guy."

Joshua Jackson (left) and James Van Der Beek in 2015.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty

Dawson’s Creek also starred Katie Holmes as Joey Potter, Mary-Margaret Humes and John Wesley Shipp as Dawson’s parents and Mary Beth Peil as Jen’s grandma, plus Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps. Dawson’s Creek ran for six seasons, from 1998 to 2003.

Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. "I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."

Van Der Beek was also known for roles on shows including Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Pose, CSI: Cyber and Overcompensating as well as movies like 1998’s Varsity Blues and 2001’s Texas Rangers. He's also set to appear in the Legally Blonde series premiering later this year.

In September 2025, Van Der Beek’s Dawson’s Creek cast members reunited at an event to raise money for Van Der Beek and his family. The actor could not appear at the event due to illness.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”