So, TC readers really want to know how a college grad who majored in business administration ended up wading in the creek? How did you get your start?
"Twelve Monkeys" was my very first job. I had just started working and I had just started to become interested in acting. They were shooting Twelve Monkeys in Philadelphia and I went in and asked to be an extra. It was in a scene with 500 other people, so I couldn't even find myself in that film. It was cool, though, because it was also my birthday and my mother was in the shot with me. It was a lot of fun. Acting is still a business--as we all know--so at least I can utilize some of my education."

But you did spend some time on television before, right...on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives?
"Doing a daily soap like Days of Our Lives was completely different than being on a weekly primetime show. Daytime television is like boot camp for actors. I'm so glad that I went through that. It's brutal because it's tape and not film, so you have three or four cameras that you have to be aware of at all times. You have to learn 20 pages a day versus two or three. The writing for daytime is, honestly, really bad. I have so much respect for the actors that perform in soaps everyday. It takes a lot to make it all work. They are some of the best actors in the business."

And your on-screen kiss with the one and only Katie Holmes?
"Katie is a real sweetheart, just like she seems to all her fans. We're all friends. It's a very unique situation--sort of like a camp."

Do you feel that the public's impression of Jack McPhee has changed since your character has come out of the closet?
"Playing Jack McPhee is definitely a challenge. It's exactly what actors look for in a role. When Kevin (Williamson) said 'We're going to go down a different road with Jack' I was excited. I told him I was with it 100 percent. It's actually the first time that this has been explored specifically for a teen audience. It wasn't just about having a gay character on Dawson's Creek. We told a tale about what it would be like for somebody that was 16 years-of-age to struggle with his sexuality. I think we did it right and told a good story. I think it was unique."

Does playing a teen character that is openly gay present you with added responsibility as an actor?
"I get a lot of mail, but most of it is from women. But the letters that I do get from teens who are struggling with their sexuality--they're pretty serious. It's kind of scary because along with this job comes a certain amount of responsibility. I've gotten some crazy letters that say that they watched the episodes last year when Jack came out to his dad, they turn off the TV, walk into the next room and tell their parents that they're gay. It's a huge responsibility."

How did you feel when you first found out about what was in store for your character?
"Jack McPhee hasn't been an easy role to play which is why I was so excited to do it. It's something new--it's a challenge. I did a lot of research and I had friends that had gone through a similar experience. Most of the time I just use my imagination to help guide me through the emotions. I haven't had any huge losses, fortunately, so I have to draw upon my imagination for the most part to get those scenes to work. Coming out was emotionally difficult. It was a long day, but we had fun. Emotionally it was a long day."

So, you stole joey's heart only to let her down. What's next for Jack?
"Well, Jack is obviously going to get into a relationship. He's going to find somebody, I think. I wanted to keep working with Katie; she's a lot of fun. Now I'm living with Jen and Grams. It's fun because the three of us didn't work together at all last year--just a couple of scenes."

I heard that you pulled a fast one on Katie before you both did your famous take-off on the Titanic Scene...
"We sometimes play stunts on each other, so that morning I asked the wardrobe guys to stuff a sock for me which I put under my robe. I was naked for twelve hours. I'm not a modest guy so I could take it. Katie, however, could not. She was more embarrassed than I was. But, it was fun indeed! It was sort of hanging out of my shorts. At one point during the scene the robe falls off and out slinks this 3-foot stuffed sock! Everyone started screaming and Katie thought it was the real thing so she was very embarrassed. She was rosy-cheeked all day long..."

How does it make you feel that Howard Stern is an admitted Dawson's junkie?
"It scares me that Howard Stern tunes in every week! But, I listen to his show everyday, so I guess we're even. I'd love to be on his show!"

C'mon, TC wants the lowdown on Dawson' spoilers....
"It's one script at a time. For the first thirteen episodes I generally knew who Jack McPhee was going to be but for the recent episodes, I really have no idea."

What is it like spending so much time in down south when you were born and raised in Philadelphia and New York?
"Just being in Wilmington, NC was quite an adjustment for me. I'm used to living in urban areas like New York and Los Angeles. It took several months, but I love it. It's life at a much slower pace. I fly back between LA and Wilmington constantly so it's nice to live two different lives."

So, like the other residents of Capeside you spend your off time making films. There was the part in Hit and Runway, Kiss and Tell and the upcoming release from New Line, Final Destination. What is the premise behind that flick?
"My character in Final Destination is named Carter. He's a class bully--180 degrees different from Jack McPhee, which is one of the main reasons that I took the role. Each time I choose a role, I'd generally like to play a character that's completely different, otherwise it's boring. It's a film about cheating death. The actual plane crash happens during the first fifteen minutes of the film, actually. My character loses control of his life. He thrives on anger, so it's very difficult for him--losing that control. It's going to be a good movie. We've got some good people like Devon Sawa."