Her character, Joey Potter, is something of a tomboy. As Holmes explains, "Joey is a 15-year-old girl that uses a tough attitude as a guard because she's been through so much. She's been hurt so many times that she doesn't want to be vulnerable and put herself out there for everyone. She has to be tough. She lost her mom [to cancer] and her dad's in prison. She doesn't have the best reputation in town because her sister, Bessie, is pregnant by Bodie, her black boyfriend, and they all live together. Her relationship with Dawson has been the only stable thing in her life and now it's beginning to change."
The stability and importance of friends played a significant role in Holmes' life as well when she choose to honor her commitment to friends and classmates by performing in the school production of "Damn Yankees" instead of going to Los Angeles on a callback from the producers and casting agents for DAWSON'S CREEK. Fortunately, the producers were able to reschedule the audition and Holmes won the role of Joey Potter.
A captivating newcomer to the entertainment world, Holmes has experienced incredible success, landing major roles in both feature films and television projects while participating in only a handful of auditions. Her very first professional audition resulted in a plum role in the award-winning film, THE ICE STORM, directed by Ang Lee (SENSE AND SENSIBILITY). The film, which recently won the screenplay award from the Cannes Film Festival, stars Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Elijah Wood and Joan Allen and depicts the sexual revolution of the 1970s.
Having graduated from high school, Holmes is now living in Wilmington, North Carolina while working on DAWSON'S CREEK.
