Fifty-Three and Weighing Twenty-Five Years of Dawson’s Creek
Kerr Smith spent 25 years trying to recreate the experience of playing Jack McPhee on Dawson’s Creek.
Writing a Memoir About Capeside and Beyond
Now 53 years old, Smith reflects on that pursuit in his new memoir, I Don’t Want to Wait: My Life on Dawson’s Creek. The book combines oral history and personal reckoning, drawing on conversations with former castmates including Katie Holmes. Smith told Extra that he wanted to share a unique television story on the page, noting that nobody remembers past events the same way.
Selma Blair Was Considered for the Role
Before Holmes secured the role of Joey Potter, another 1990s star was in the running. Smith revealed that Selma Blair was considered for the part before Holmes was cast.
Filming Prime Time’s First Same-Sex Kiss
In 1998, Smith joined the WB teen drama with few acting credits. Smith said the broadcast made network executives sweat bullets while conservative watchdog groups protested. I’m not going to lie, it was a scary experience,
Smith said to Extra, adding that he knew at the time he was part of something monumental.
Protesters Targeted Smith with Graffiti and Slurs
Protesters gathered at the studio gates. While Smith found some reassurance that the anger targeted the storyline rather than him personally, hostility followed him elsewhere. Around 2001, while filming the horror film The Forsaken in Yuma, Arizona, he returned to find his car covered in red graffiti and homophobic slurs. He kept the incident private for years, writing about it for the first time in the new memoir.
Remembering James Van Der Beek
While finishing the book, Smith learned of the February death of co-star James Van Der Beek from colorectal cancer. Smith had already written about the cast’s September 2025 reunion at New York’s Richard Rodgers Theatre for an F Cancer charity event. He subsequently added a final chapter featuring short recollections from cast and crew members. My relationship with James was very unique in that we had a 25, 30-year relationship,
Smith told Extra.
Common Questions About The Memoir
Which network aired Dawson’s Creek?
The teen drama originally aired on the WB network before reaching a new generation of fans via Netflix in 2020.
Who else contributed to the book?
Smith drew on conversations with former castmates, including Katie Holmes.
Worth a look