In the span of one year, life on the set of Dawson's Creek has really changed! When the gang first assembled in Wilmington, North Carolina to film the first season of their thought-provoking teenage drama, nobody knew who they were. Only Joshua Jackson, who had starred in the Mighty Ducks trilogy of films, ever got a second glance from a casual passerby. Now, simply everyone knows all the cast members' names and faces!
This tight-knit group of young actors--James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and, of course, Joshua--haven't just become stars of the small screen. In the course of one year they've also become extremely popular movie stars! And it's not over yet. In the coming months expect to see Katie gracing the big screen in the movies Killing Mrs. Tingle and Go; Josh appearing alongside Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions and Michelle starring in the 1970s political spoof Dick.
'Dawson' himself got into the act when his football drama Varsity Blues opened up to big business this winter. For his part, James acknowledges that he would never have even gotten a chance to audition for the critically lauded football drama had it not been for Dawson's Creek. "The roles that I'm offered, I wouldn't be offered if I wasn't on Dawson's Creek," he admits. "In Varsity Blues, I played a back-up quarterback in West Canaan, Texas. He's very tough, very assertive and a very smart guy who basically has no problems going after what he wants--a little different than Dawson. But I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to even pursue a role like Varsity Blues and prove that I was worthy of an opportunity to do something that diverse and that different."
After spending the summer of 1998 in Texas playing a character so unlike his TV role, it was a culture shock coming back to the fictional town of Capeside and getting back under the skin of high school film buff Dawson Leery. "It does spin your head a little bit to do a character on a television show and then go off and do something completely different in a film and then have to go back to the character," says James. "It's a little tough to kind of try to fit back in, but you eventually do." If the ratings of the second season of Dawson's Creek are any indication, James adjusted very well. The joys and heartaches of 'Dawson,' 'Joey,' 'Jen,' and 'Pacey' have continued to attract more and more viewers with each riveting episode.
The same is true for James. He's still excited to be playing Dawson on the small screen each week and doesn't plan to leave his hit series anytime soon. "The interesting thing is that Dawson isn't perfect. He goes through a lot," he says. "I mean, if his life was happy and had no problems, I think it'd be a pretty boring show. But there are definitely triumphs and there are pitfalls. It's up and down."
James and the rest of the gang are committed to another three years of the show. After that, it's anybody's guess. "I don't know if anybody's too keen of doing Dawson's Creek: The College Years," he says.
Still, James has to admit that his life is a whole lot better than it was a little over a year ago. In January of 1998, just before the premiere of Dawson's Creek, he was sleeping on series creator Kevin Williamson's couch! Things certainly have changed! "Now, I actually bought an apartment in Wilmington (North Carolina, where DC is filmed). So I have a place to live," he says with a grin.
He's also attracting a lot more attention from Dawson's Creek fans wherever he goes--something he's still learning to appreciate. "Personally, I'm not all that comfortable with it. I kind of wear a hat, keep my head down and try to keep a low profile," he says. "It does affect your daily reality if you decide to leave the house. You just get used to it. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes it gets really crazy and insane."
Fortunately for James and the rest of the DC cast, they have each other. They're also thankful that their series films in North Carolina, far from the glittering lights of Hollywood where it's so much easier to lose touch with reality. "In Wilmington, people there see us around town and aren't exactly blinded by our star wattage. They're not all that impressed," he explains. "It's a pretty healthy environment."
