In the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jason Biggs confuses James Van Der Beek’s character of Dawson Leery with Joshua Jackson’s Pacey Witter. Fans would be surprised to know that it almost happened in Dawson’s Creek. Jackson auditioned for the role of Dawson before Van Der Beek landed the titular role in the series.
When Jackson’s Dawson audition didn’t go well, Kevin Williamson, the creator, cast him as Pacey. Jackson is currently starring in the ABC series, Doctor Odyssey. Van Der Beek shocked audiences on Sunday when he announced his cancer diagnosis to the world.
Joshua Jackson Auditioned For The Role Of James Van Der Beek’s Dawson In Dawson’s Creek
Joshua Jackson is more than happy to be part of Dawson’s Creek in the early 2000s. He opened up about his role as Pacey Witter during the Emmys 2024, where the theme music of the show played in the background as Jackson took the stage. He shared that he remembered “being so proud” but added that he really “didn’t understand how big it was” (via PEOPLE).
Interestingly, Jackson landed the role of Dawson’s best friend Pacey only after auditioning for the role of Dawson. While show creator Kevin Williamson loved the actor’s skills, he and the producers found him unfit for the titular role. Williamson was not keen on letting the actor go and instead wanted him to play Pacey.
Williamson explained to THR that Dawson was a dreamer and a nerd. He is an aspiring filmmaker in the series who wants to be like Steven Spielberg. It didn’t match the hot guy looks of Jackson. He agreed with the network when they suggested that he won’t work as Dawson. However, Williamson was determined to keep him in the show no matter what after recognizing his talents. Williamson shared with THR:
There was a whole conversation about Josh Jackson being Dawson. When you go back and look at the script, Dawson was the underdog, the nerd, the video geek. In what high school do you see the video geek being the hot guy? I fell in love with Josh Jackson because he could read any role, Dawson or Pacey.
But something wasn’t complete and that’s when the network said they didn’t see Josh as Dawson, and rightfully so. So, I went, ‘Okay, he’s Pacey,’ because I knew I wanted him in the show no matter what.
Dawson eventually went to James Van Der Beek, who made the role iconic. Van Der Beek auditioned for three TV pilots in 1997, including Dawson’s Creek. Like Dawson, who dropped out of college to pursue his filmmaking career, Van Der Beek too dropped out of Drew University after his series was picked up at The WB.
James Van Der Beek’s Cancer Diagnosis Came As Shocking To Fans
The acclaimed actor who starred opposite Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams revealed that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He opened up about his diagnosis and treatment to PEOPLE magazine, sharing that he was dealing with it privately and had been taking steps to resolve it.
He further added that “there’s reason for optimism” and that he is “feeling good”. In an Instagram post, he apologized to his loved ones who had to find out about the diagnosis from the press. He shared that there was “no playbook” to announce such things, but he had planned to open up about the diagnosis in length and raise awareness about it with PEOPLE magazine.
He had to change his plans and make the announcement bluntly after he was informed that a tabloid was going to reveal it. He ended the post by sharing that he would talk more about the diagnosis when he was ready.
Dawson’s Creek is now available for streaming on Hulu.
