To read more on theDawsons Creekreunion, pick up the new issue ofEntertainment Weeklyon stands Friday.
you could buy thefull set of five covers here.
But this series could have looked entirely different.
Everett Collection
For starters, Jackson was creator Kevin Williamsons first choice to play Dawson but The WB balked.
Remembers the creator, They went, We love this guy hes not Dawson.
Hes got to be Pacey.
Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage; Marc Kayne/Warner Bros TV/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Once Williamson met Van Der Beek, though, he realized the actor was a perfect fit.
He looked the part, he acted the part, he talked the part, says Williamson.
And he was so intelligent, he was so smart.
He didnt look like a nerd but he was a nerd inside.
Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions) was Williamsons first choice to play Joey.
And when that video showed up, it changed my whole life.
The experience was very overwhelming because I was brand new.
It was my second job, and I didnt even know really, like, where to look.
Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up) was one of the actresses who auditioned for Jen.
Says Williamson, She looked slightly older at that time.
Even though she was younger, I just think she was more mature.
But Williams ultimately landed the part after performing a largely silent scene between Jen and her dying grandfather.
Reveals Williamson, Im a horror movie guy, so I recognized Michelle fromSpecies.
She was the babySpeciesmonster.
But she walked in and she came across as an angel.
Dawsons father was even a different actor inCreeks presentation pilot.
As I understood it, they didnt want to make Gails affair an easy decision, says Shipp.
Kevin said, There are no easy answers on the creek.'
