Katie Holmes & Ex Joshua Jackson Share Sweet Onstage Moment at Reunion

Pacey and Joey are together again.

During the recent live *Dawson’s Creek* reunion, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson – who played the iconic couple on the ’90s teen drama and briefly dated in real life – shared a heartwarming moment on stage. They were joined by their fellow castmates, including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps.

It was such a sweet moment! I saw a clip online – after everything, Katie rested her head on Josh’s shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They both had these really soft, happy smiles. The whole cast was just taking it all in, looking out at the audience at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City while the show’s theme song played. It honestly made my heart melt!

And that wasn’t the only meaningful moment from the night.

On September 23rd, Katie posted a touching memory to Instagram: a video of her, Joshua, and Michelle holding hands on stage at the end of an event. The video played a slideshow of photos from their time filming the WB series, while the audience cheered. She captioned the clip simply with “James” and a heart and praying hands emoji, a tribute to James Van Der Beek, the show’s star and a close friend. James was originally scheduled to attend, but unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute due to a stomach virus, as he is currently battling colorectal cancer.

James couldn’t make it to the event, but his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, came to show her support. She commented on Katie’s post, saying, “You’re all amazing! Thank you for all the love and well wishes for James.”

Additionally, she shared a special message of her own following the event.

Kimberly shared on Instagram after the event that the night was incredibly special for her whole family. She mentioned feeling overwhelmed with love for her husband James, especially seeing him fill the entire theater. The event also served as a fundraiser for the organization F Cancer. Kimberly and James share six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 7, and Jeremiah, 3.

It’s going to take me a long time to fully process everything, but I just want to say thank you for all the kindness, support, and prayers. Honestly, my heart is completely full thinking about my husband – he’s always right here with me, always my priority.

James holds his wife and former colleagues close to his heart, and they feel the same way about him. He recently expressed how upset he was that he couldn’t attend their reunion.

He shared on Instagram on September 21st that he’d been eagerly anticipating this event ever since Michelle Williams told him about it in January. He was devastated, then, when two stomach viruses hit him at the worst possible time, forcing him to stay home and miss it.

He said, “No matter how hard I tried, I won’t be able to make it. I won’t be able to go on stage and thank everyone who supported me, both by being there and by standing with me in my fight against cancer, especially when I really needed them.”

Although James couldn’t make it to the event, he mentioned his children were excited that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who directed *Hamilton* and produced the reunion, would be participating in the live table read. This was thanks to Michelle’s husband, Thomas Kail, who had arranged it.

I do have an understudy-someone incredibly talented who would have been my top choice if I’d known he was available. My kids might even think he’s better than me! Luckily, he also knows how to get to the theater, which is a real plus.

Lin-Manuel Miranda will be taking on the role of ‘Dawson,’ traditionally played by James Van Der Beek. It’s amazing to even write that! I’m so grateful to Lin-Manuel – my kids already looked up to him, and now he’s become a legend in their eyes.

Although James couldn’t make it to the event, he mentioned his children loved that Michelle’s husband, Thomas Kail-the director of *Hamilton* and producer of the reunion-had chosen Lin-Manuel Miranda for the live table read.

I do have an understudy, and he’s actually more talented than I expected – someone I would have loved to have on the show if I’d thought he was even available. My kids would probably even like him better than me! The best part is, he already knows how to get to the theater, which is a huge help.

For a look back at the series that left this lasting legacy, keep reading.

While Fox was first to pick up Dawson’s Creek, it subsequently dumped the teen drama.

At the 2015 ATX TV Festival, the series creator, Kevin Williamson, explained that executives felt the show *Party of Five* had faced difficulties and they didn’t want to take on another similar project.

But that paved the way for The WB to pick it up two years later.

Although Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” is famously known as the theme song for *Dawson’s Creek*, the show’s producers initially preferred Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket.”

Alas, they couldn’t land the rights, what a jagged little pill.

Dawson. Pacey. Joey. Not names you hear every day. So how did Williamson come up with them?

In a 2018 interview with *The Hollywood Reporter*, James Van Der Beek explained that the town of Dawson came from a real place he and his friends frequented as kids, a spot called Dawson’s Creek. He also shared that the character Pacey was named after someone he knew only through a friend, a person he’d never actually met, but thought had a memorable name.

The show’s creator, Williamson, chose the name Josephine because it felt feminine but could also be shortened to the more masculine nickname Joey, reflecting the character’s personality.

Remember Dawson’s infamous “walk the dog” line in the pilot?

In 1998, the network prohibited the use of the word “masturbate,” so Williamson used a more subtle phrase instead.

Before Katie Holmes became famous as America’s sweetheart, Blake Lively was almost cast in that same role.

The character of Joe was originally conceived as a tomboy, and many of the actresses auditioning embodied that quality. We almost cast Selma Blair, who gave a fantastic performance – she portrayed the character as strong but also very heartfelt, according to Williamson.

But when Williamson saw Holmes on video-with “those big eyes”-he immediately realized they’d found the right person for the role of Joey.

Williamson liked Joshua Jackson so much, he didn’t care what role the Mighty Ducks alum played.

I was immediately drawn to Josh Jackson’s acting ability – he could convincingly play either Dawson or Pacey, I told *The Hollywood Reporter*. However, the network felt he wasn’t right for the role of Dawson, and they were correct. That’s when I decided he was perfect for Pacey, because I knew I wanted him on the show no matter what.

In 1999, a young Charlie Hunnam, then 18 years old, auditioned for a drama on The WB. Although he wasn’t cast in the role, he did meet Katherine Towne during the audition process.

Hunnam and his wife eloped to Las Vegas just three weeks after meeting, but their marriage ended in divorce in 2002, which he later described to the Associated Press as “three terrible, painful, expensive years.”

Dawson’s Creek became so popular that American Eagle inked a deal in 2000 to outfit the actors.

As a huge fan, I noticed something really interesting in season three – the characters were styled almost entirely in American Eagle clothes! It wasn’t just a costume thing either; the actors actually appeared in AE ad campaigns and promotional material. It was a really smart move for the company, and it definitely paid off – they made over $105 million in 2001!

When James Van Der Beek was first cast, the studio wanted him to change his hair.

He remembered telling The Daily Beast in 2012 that he saw an advertisement for the movie *The Devil’s Own* starring Brad Pitt. The ad asked about Pitt’s haircut, and that’s what inspired his look for the first season.

Early in the series, Holmes and Jackson were a couple, before Pacey and Joey started developing feelings for each other.

In a 1998 interview with *Rolling Stone*, Holmes revealed she met someone the previous year – heavily implying it was Michael Jackson – and fell in love for the first time. She described the experience as amazing and unforgettable, something she’d always cherish. She also expressed gratitude that they’d become close friends, joking that their relationship now resembled the platonic connection between characters Dawson and Joey on the TV show *Dawson’s Creek*.

She also shared that he’s a long-time veteran of the industry and has been a great help to her. She expressed her respect for him both personally and professionally.

When Kerr Smith agreed to play Joey’s boyfriend on the show, he didn’t realize his character would later come out as gay and be featured in what would become the first gay kiss ever shown on television.

I always hoped Jack would publicly come out as gay, but I didn’t share that with anyone on set, even [Smith],” Williamson explained at the ATX TV Festival. “I wanted the audience to fall in love with him first, then reveal his sexuality and show how Joey would react-and ultimately, how that would bring her back to [Dawson].

Interestingly, Williamson has revealed that he based every character on the show, even Jack, on aspects of himself.

He explained to Entertainment Weekly in 2018 that every character in the show contains a piece of himself. He’d recently come out to his parents as gay in his 20s and wanted a character to reflect that personal experience and journey.

The episode where Jack came out was based on a real-life story and was written with help from both Williamson and producer Greg Berlanti.

Berlanti shared a story about a friend who was unintentionally revealed to be gay, as told to EW. Apparently, the friend wrote a love poem that everyone recognized was about a man.

Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps have been best friends ever since they first met on the set of *Dawson’s Creek*, and their close bond continues today.

Williams shared with *People* magazine that she’s deeply in love with her close friend, revealing this at a 2016 screening of *Manchester by the Sea*. This was just one of many events the pair attended together. She explained that her friend is proof that your soulmate doesn’t have to be a romantic partner – that her friend is the love of her life.

Philipps is also godmother to Williams’ daughter Matilda Ledger, who was born in 2005.

The episode where Dawson lost his virginity was a major event, and actor Van Der Beek marked the occasion by bringing a special gift to the set on filming day.

He recalled bringing champagne to celebrate with the crew, explaining, “Dawson finally lost his virginity,” as he told The Daily Beast.

Before becoming famous on *One Tree Hill*, Chad Michael Murray appeared on *Dawson’s Creek* as Charlie, who dated both Jen and Joey.

Although Charlie was sociable, Murray didn’t seem to connect with many people when he first lived in North Carolina (where *OTH* was later filmed).

In 2009, during a panel discussion hosted by the Paley Center, Philipps publicly called the person she was discussing “a douche.” She then added, jokingly, that she wasn’t concerned about damaging her relationship with them, referring to them as “CMM.”

Van Der Beek also mentioned that Chad Michael Murray has improved a lot. After the panel discussion, Philipps tweeted that she might have been too critical of him, but then decided she probably wasn’t.

Murray, on the other hand, has stayed out of the drama, explaining in 2015 that he gained valuable lessons from the situation.

When I joined the cast of *Dawson’s Creek*, I was lucky enough to learn from people with a little more experience, like Michelle, James, Katie, and Josh. They’d been working for five or six years, maybe even longer, and were always willing to help me understand things. I was completely new to the technical side of filmmaking – I didn’t even know how lighting worked! – and I really appreciate them taking the time to show me the ropes, as he shared with Cosmopolitan.com in 2015.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe who showed up on *Dawson’s Creek* over the years! It’s like, a who’s who of amazing actors! I mean, seriously, before they were HUGE, Seth Rogen was there! And Jane Lynch! Julie Bowen! Scott Foley, of course, but also Jensen Ackles! And it wasn’t just the guys – Hilarie Burton, Rachel Leigh Cook, Ali Larter, even Oliver Hudson all made appearances! It’s incredible looking back and realizing how many stars got their start on that show!

Young Americans was a brief television series that followed Will Krudski (played by Rodney Scott), a friend of Pacey’s, and his experiences with fellow students at Rawley Academy, a boarding school.

Also starring Ian Somerhalder and Kate Bosworth, it was canceled after just one season.

The central romantic conflict of the show was resolved in the 2003 finale when Joey ultimately chose Pacey.

Originally, the writer, Williamson, had planned for a different character to end up with the love interest. However, while writing the last episode, he decided that pairing wouldn’t fit the overall story he was trying to tell.

He shared at the ATX TV Festival that he aimed to create a fresh take on teen dramas, one that felt genuine and explored the idea of soul mates in a new way. He explained the show’s ending was designed to show the characters as a complete family, with each person achieving their desires and finding happiness. The goal was to deliver a satisfying and hopeful conclusion.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! He almost didn’t do it, can you imagine?! But then, at the very last second, he changed his mind, and honestly, it became everything! It’s iconic now! Though, get this – his mom, who was *totally* Team Dawson from the beginning, was not thrilled with how things played out. She was a little upset, apparently! Can you believe it?

The final episode jumped forward five years and showed the group coping with the heartbreaking loss of Jen.

The death of a main character was intended to mark the definitive end of the group’s adolescence. As creator Kevin Williamson explained, “Dawson’s Creek” was always about growing up, and killing Jen was meant to be the final, impactful lesson in that journey – forcing the characters to confront loss and truly enter adulthood.

Some of the executive producers who get their start on Dawson’s?

Julie Plec, the creator of shows like *The Vampire Diaries* and *The Originals*, along with Greg Berlanti (known for *Everwood*, *Arrow*, *The Flash*, *Riverdale*, and numerous films), Rob Thomas (*Veronica Mars*, *iZombie*), Jenny Bicks (*Sex and the City*), Anna Fricke (*Being Human*), Dana Baratta (*Jessica Jones*), and many other talented writers, contributed to this project.

2025-09-24 04:48

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