Now 36, the former teen star continues to make bold career choices without shying away from his Dawson’s Creek past.
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Jason Merritt / Getty
James Van Der Beek isn't the most casually dressed person at Soho House, a members-only club in West Hollywood, but he's still more dressed down than you'd expect given his surroundings and the fact that, on a quiet Monday afternoon, he's the biggest name in the place.
On the whole, there's little to suggest that Van Der Beek spent six years as one of the biggest stars on television. He's amiable and down-to-earth, smiling consistently as he sips his iced tea. When your most notable acting roles are an impossibly sincere teenager and an exaggerated version of yourself, maintaining a good sense of humor and humility comes with the territory.
Which is not to say that James Van Der Beek doesn't take his work seriously. On the contrary, he's fully committed to his craft. But Van Der Beek, who stars on the upcoming CBS sitcom Friends With Better Lives, has come a long way since he played softhearted Dawson Leery on the WB's iconic teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 until 2003. And that meant learning to stay grounded and keep his ego in check.
"I think probably in my younger days I was a little put off by having to prove myself, but now it's just part of the game," he says. "Part of being a working actor is having to prove yourself every day, every project, every scene, every season. It is what it is. And I've come to accept it, and enjoy it, and enjoy the challenge, and enjoy auditioning."
Now 36, Van Der Beek is a more developed actor than ever before, displaying his range as he moves between sitcoms and serious dramas, like Jason Reitman's Labor Day, released in January. And while no longer a teen heartthrob, Van Der Beek hasn't lost his good looks, maturing from Tiger Beat cute to movie star handsome.
But Van Der Beek is less interested in being a star these days: The more opportunities he gets, the more he realizes he's drawn to strong characters over big roles.
"The size of the role matters almost none to me, as long as there's something to it that I feel like I can grab on to," he says. "I can totally take three great scenes, two great scenes, one great scene in a great movie … I had an agent who called me a 'character actor trapped in a leading man's body,' which to me was the highest compliment of all, because those are the guys I love watching."
Options aren't something Van Der Beek always thought he would have. When he signed on to Don't Trust the B–––– in Apartment 23 in 2011, there was concern that playing a parody of James Van Der Beek could prove limiting. Where do you go after playing yourself?
"In a weird way, it's almost like the playing field is wide open after you do that," Van Der Beek says. "I remember some of the conventional wisdom at the time when I was offered the opportunity was a question of 'Will people be able to take you seriously in serious roles? Is this going to take anything away?' In fact, it did the exact opposite. It actually opened the door to a whole lot more."
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Van Der Beek and co-star Katie Holmes as Joey Potter on Dawson's Creek.
Sony Pictures Television
Before James Van Der Beek was James Van Der Beek on Don't Trust the B––––, he was Dawson Leery on Dawson's Creek. Along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Felicity, Dawson's Creek defined the WB as the premier network for smart, sensitive teens. It helped that Dawson was a soulful aspiring filmmaker, wise beyond his years. As played by Van Der Beek, Dawson was iconic for his good nature and unwavering sincerity.
"At the very core of this, we had to find someone who was the leading man of our show, the man around which all of these characters rotate," recalls Paul Stupin, the Dawson's Creek executive producer who approached Kevin Williamson to write the series' pilot. "He had to have a star quality and a real sense of presence. And he also had to combine that with a sense of emotion, a sense of passion, a sense of intellectuality."
To some extent, that perfectly describes Van Der Beek. Dawson's relentless earnestness, however, was a bit much.
"Dawson's sweet, but he's the kind of guy I'd find myself making excuses to not hang out with," he admits, echoing an earlier statement he made to Paper Magazine that stirred up some tabloid controversy.
Van Der Beek isn't being cruel, just honest. But despite their differences, Van Der Beek has long been linked with the character he played for six years. While he was aware of the challenges of being typecast before he joined Dawson's Creek, he wasn't prepared for Dawson's long-lasting influence.
"There was a time when it was frustrating because I always felt very capable of things that had nothing to do with that," Van Der Beek says. "I never felt like I would be trapped or only be able to do that type of character. It seemed so odd to me."
It wasn't just the character of Dawson but that he was so omnipresent, a clear symbol — like Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar and Felicity's Keri Russell — of teen drama's potential.
"It did hold me back," Van Der Beek continues. "'He's so recognizable, is he gonna pull us out of this more serious movie?' And I know that's come up from time to time. When I've gotten opportunities, that has not been the case, so then you think, All right, are we past this now? Are we over it? But at the end of the day, it just makes you work that much harder."
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