Dawson Leery lives on! James Van Der Beek reflected on his time on Dawson’s Creek on Thursday, January 25, by posting a throwback photo from the first week on set.
“Squad ‘97. I’d known these people all of seven days when this pic was taken. 20 years ago this week, the little pilot we shot in that small town for that fledgling network aired, changed our lives and launched our careers,” Van Der Beek, now 40, captioned the shot. In the pic, he’s posing with costars Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes.
“Thank you to the Wilmington, North Carolina crew and community who raised us & kept us sane, thank you to the many talented writers and producers who gave of your hearts talents and put up with us. And thank you especially to the fans of the show. It’s a funny relationship we have … your experience of this project is what you saw on camera, while my memories are mostly what I experienced off of it,” the What Would Diplo Do? Star continued.
Van Der Beek, who starred as Dawson Leery in all six seasons of The WB drama, also pointed out that he hasn’t seen most of the episodes, as he felt it was “healthier at a certain point to just commit 100 percent on the day and let it go completely.”
“The beauty of this arrangement is that my impression of the show now is what you’ve all reflected back to me over the years … and it’s been lovely to witness,” the actor added. “So thank you to anyone who’s ever expressed appreciation for the work we did — it makes me feel proud to be associated with these three fine people (and the rest of the cast), and proud to have been a part of #DawsonsCreek. This one will always have a special little place in my heart.”
While Van Der Beek and some of his other costars shared their memories from the show to celebrate the anniversary, most of the cast have been adamant about that part of their lives being over — and they’re not interested in a reboot. However, Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Gail Leery on the teen soap, revealed to Us Weekly that she still felt it was possible.
“Some say too many people are dead and yada, yada, yada … but in my mind, I have this thought that there’s a way to suspend your disbelief where everyone can get the happily ever after,” she told Us. “I’m just putting it out there into the universe because I’m harboring a little secret idea and we’ll see what happens!”
Dawson’s Creek is currently streaming on Hulu.
