‘Dawson’s Creek’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

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'Dawson's Creek' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Cue Paula Cole! Ever since Dawson's Creek premiered in 1998, the show became a favorite among fans and remains one of the most popular teen dramas to ever hit the small screen. The series followed the life of Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), a tomboy who is just trying to make it through high school following the death of her mother. Luckily, she had best friend Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and his sidekick, Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson). In the premiere episode, Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams) arrived in town — a new girl from New York City who not-so-seamlessly made her way into the group and changed everything. The series was created by Scream writer Kevin Williamson, who based the script off his own experiences growing up in a small town. "I remember loving the script. I remember thinking everyone was amazing," Van Der Beek told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 when the cast got back together to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. “All the actors were perfectly cast.” Jackson echoed the thought, adding, "I enjoyed the fact that, being a kid at that time, playing a kid who wasn’t an idiot or the precocious one, we never insulted the audience by dumbing us down in order to be believable teenagers." [jwplayer mo63YC61-zhNYySv2] Over the six seasons, many new characters came and went. Jen's grandmother, Grams (Mary Beth Peil), appeared in all six seasons. Brother and sister duo Jack and Andie McPhee, played by Kerr Smith and Meredith Monroe, respectively, joined in season 2. Dawson's parents, Mitch and Gale Leery (John Wesley Shipp and Mary-Margaret Humes) were also key parts of the show. For the final two seasons, Busy Philipps' Audrey Liddell joined as Joey's college roommate. The show didn't shy away from hot topics, tackling everyday situations in a way shows hadn't done previously. In 2000, the show aired the first passionate same-sex kiss between two men — and it wasn't an easy task. “A day before filming, the WB asked if the scene could be shot from across the street. They didn’t want it to be ‘too passionate,'" the episode's cowriter Gina Fattore previously told Us Weekly exclusively. "There was no backup plan. The main thing I remember is Greg [Berlanti] calling me that morning and yelling at me like he was an old-time movie mogul: ‘This has to be a real kiss! I want to see passion.' He couldn’t be on set that day, but the scene was so important to him, and I knew that I had to be his eyes and ears, and make sure the footage we got would work." Scroll through the gallery below to see where the cast is today:

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Katie Holmes

Holmes continued her acting career after the show wrapped in 2003, starring in dozens of movies including Pieces of April, Batman Begins, Mad Money and Ocean's 8 and 2022's Alone Together. She also led the 2011 miniseries, The Kennedys, portraying Jackie Kennedy, and had a recurring role in Ray Donovan.

Holmes was briefly engaged to Chris Klein before meeting Tom Cruise in April 2005. The couple were married from 2006 to 2012 and share one child. Following the split, she dated Jamie Foxx on and off from 2013 to 2019. The following year, she started dating chef Emilio Vitolo Jr. Eight months after their relationship began, Us Weekly confirmed exclusively in May 2021 that the pair split. One year later, she was linked to boyfriend Bobby Wooten III. Us broke the news in December 2022 that the duo called it quits after eight months.

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James Van Der Beek

After playing Dawson, Van Der Beek landed many TV roles, starring in Mercy, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, CSI: Cyber, What Would Diplo Do? and Pose. In 2019, he competed on Dancing With the Stars and came in fifth place. The Connecticut native voiced Boris on Vampirina from 2017 to 2021.

Van Der Beek was married to Heather McComb from 2003 to 2009. In 2010, he married Kimberly Van Der Beek and the couple share six children.

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Joshua Jackson

Jackson's TV career thrived after Dawson's Creek, as he went on to star in Fringe, The Affair, When They See Us and Little Fires Everywhere. He also landed many movie roles, appearing in Americano, Shutter and One Week. Jackson also starred in the stage productions of A Life in the Theatre, Smart People and Children of a Lesser God.

From 2006 to 2016, the Mighty Ducks star dated Diane Kruger. Two years after the pair's split, he began dating Jodie Turner-Smith, who he married in 2019. They welcomed their first child in 2020.

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Michelle Williams

Following the teen drama, Williams took over the big screen, going on to star in Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, Manchester by the Sea and The Greatest Showman. In 2014, she led the Broadway revival of Cabaret and two years later, appeared in Broadway's Blackbird. She is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor and has been nominated for a Tony award and four Academy Awards.

Williams welcomed a daughter in 2005 with the late Heath Ledger. She was briefly married to Phil Elverum from 2018 to 2019. In 2020, she married Fosse/Vernon director Thomas Kail and the pair share son Hart. She announced in May 2022 that the couple are expecting a second child, her third. Williams gave birth later that year, stepping out with her newborn in NYC in October 2022. 

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Mary Beth Peil

The two-time Tony nominee has continued acting since Dawson's Creek's end, starring in The Good Wife, Flags of Our Fathers, Collateral Beauty and The Village. She also returned to the stage with parts in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Follies and Anastasia.

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Busy Philipps

Philipps landed a leading role in Cougar Town shortly after Dawson's Creek ended, then went on to star in White Chicks, He's Just Not That Into You and The Gift. She briefly hosted her own talk show, Busy Tonight, in 2019. She currently hosts her own podcast, "Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best," and stars on Girl5Eva.

She married Marc Silverstein in 2007 and the couple have two children: Birdie and Cricket. Philipps announced in May 2022 that she and Silverstein had separated in February 2021 after 14 years of marriage.

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Kerr Smith

While starring in My Bloody Valentine 3D and Final Destination 5, Smith's career thrived mostly on TV, landing dozens of roles after Dawson's Creek. He had major roles on Charmed, E-Ring, Justice, CSI: New York, Life Unexpected, The Fosters and Riverdale. 

He was married to Harmoni Everett from 2003 to 2009. He later married Lisa Smith and the couple run TerraLife Wellness company.

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Meredith Monroe

Monroe appeared in many projects after Dawson's Creek, which she left after season 4, including Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Edge of Seventeen, Criminal Minds, Hart of Dixie and 13 Reasons Why.

She has been married to Steven Kavovit since 1999 and the pair share two children.

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Mary-Margaret Humes

After Dawson's Creek, Humes appeared in many TV shows, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI and Criminal Minds. She's also starred in multiple Hallmark Channel movies. Humes has been married to Raul Bruce since 1992.

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John Wesley Shipp

After exiting the show in 2001, the Daytime Emmy winner continued his TV and film career, starring in One Life to Live, Teen Wolf and CW's The Flash. He also took on the role of John Herring in Hallmark's Ruby Herring Mysteries movies.