Out of left field! James Van Der Beek’s five children like to watch his shows and movies — and are big fans of a surprising flick.
“They became complete fans over this Hallmark movie, [Mrs. Miracle], that I did that I was kind of embarrassed to tell them that I did,” the Dawson’s Creek alum, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, August 19, while celebrating Criminal Minds’ 15th anniversary. “They absolutely love it. So it’s a good lesson for me to not be precious about anything.”
The actor went on to tell Us that Olivia, 9, Joshua, 8, Annabel, 6, Emilia, 4, and Gwendolyn, 2, watch the movie “during the summer” and ask questions about it. “Like, ‘What was it like? What were the kids like in the show? What about that girl? What was she like? Were you’re friends with her?'”
The Connecticut native joked that he wishes his little ones would be interested in Pose, which was “nominated for an Emmy,” or Dawson’s Creek, which “ran for six years.” Instead, “they’re all about a Christmas movie I did for homework,” Van Der Beek told Us.
In May, the Rules of Attraction star let his kids watch Varsity Blues, and his son was “really tough” on his accent. “Kids will tell you how they feel,” Van Der Beek said, adding, “To be truthful, I didn’t 100 percent nail the accent until about halfway through shooting that movie. I hadn’t really done accents before. We didn’t really have a dialect coach.”
Joshua and his siblings also called their dad out for cussing in the 1999 movie. “Why did you say ’s–t’ in this movie?” Van Der Beek’s son asked at the time. “You said, ‘Holy s–t!’”
While quarantining with Kimberly Van Der Beek and their brood during the coronavirus pandemic, James told Us that he has “learned to prioritize” better. “It’s a real lesson in being present with my kids and my family,” he said on Wednesday.
Although that often involves watching his Hallmark movie, WE tv will be airing cast and fan favorite episodes of Criminal Minds every Saturday and Monday through Labor Day weekend. “You just never know in a career what’s going to stick,” James told Us of his role as serial killer Tobias Hankel. “You just have no control over what people are going to … connect with.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
