James Van Der Beek and the Creek

Celebrating the man who gave us Dawson Leary.

No actor deserves to be defined by one job, they’re so much more than that. James Van Der Beek acted from the age of thirteen, he did TV shows and movies and posted inspirational content on his social media. He was a husband and a Dad.

But, to me personally, he was Dawson. I mean that as a compliment - I admire his other work but for me, ‘Dawson’s Creek’ touched my life in a way few shows do.

Us boys were not meant to like Dawson’s Creek. It was a soap opera. It was dramatic and emotional and the cool kids were watching anything other than this.

But to me, it was everything.

I learned about friendship through this show. I learned about girls. Of course, I had to unlearn everything the show taught me, because being a Dawson is not attractive in the real world.

That being said, I can’t understate how influential this character was to me.

The kid who had dreams and aspirations to break out of his hometown and become a film director, I related to it. His obsession with seeing his life as a series of storylines. Of romanticising the people and places that pass through his life. That was me.

This show came along at such a specific time in my life -- when I was a similar age to the characters -- and it gave me a sense of meaning, an emotional centre that I still carry to this day.

Dawson wasn’t perfect. And with each rewatch, he kind of becomes weirder and more annoying. But I love the guy. Van Der Beek portrayed a character who spoke to a generation, became a cultural landmark that anyone who was a teenager in the 90’s knows about.

To this day, any time I’m losing heart, forgetting the truest parts of myself, I put on an episode of the Creek. The best episodes for me are often ones where Dawson is pursuing his filmmaking dream. Or pursuing Joey Potter. It’s no coincidence that I ended up with a brunette from a small town in America. Dawson never got the girl so I had to make sure I did, to balance things out in the world.

Dawson is a fictional character, written first by Kevin Williamson, and then many others. But it was carried and portrayed by James Van Der Beek. And what he did, means a huge amount, to millions of people.

He was just 48.

And as is always the case with the artists we admire, we think they’ll live forever.

James was not much older than me. To think he’s gone, it doesn’t make sense. I didn’t know him personally yet somehow, through seeing his face constantly for close to three decades, the loss feels personal.

Rest in Peace, James. Thanks for the memories.