Editing Dawson's Creek (section)

===Casting===
''Dawson's Creek'' would become responsible for launching the acting careers of its young lead stars [[James Van Der Beek]], [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]], [[Katie Holmes]], and [[Joshua Jackson]], who had varying levels of acting experience prior to being cast in the show.<ref name="thr"/> Known for his appearance in ''[[The Mighty Ducks (movies)|The Mighty Ducks]]'' series, playing a young and aspiring hockey player, Jackson was initially considered for the main role of Dawson Leery.<ref name="thr"/> However, while Williamson "fell in love" with Jackson, citing his ability to read any role during the auditions, he felt that Jackson's good looks would not fit the underdog, nerd, and video geek character he envisioned for the show's titular character.<ref name="thr"/> After The WB expressed their wish to look for a different actor, Williamson decided on casting him in the role of Dawson's best friend Pacey Witter instead.<ref name="thr"/> After watching a video of James Van Der Beek that his casting director had sent in, the casting crew invited him to audition in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="thr"/> A regular [[off-Broadway]] performer, Van Der Beek impressed Williamson with his "cerebral and internal" quality, citing "that nervousness that made it seem like he was pre-thinking and over-thinking and over-compensating constantly like he was insecure. And we said, "There's Dawson"."<ref name="thr"/> Actors [[Charlie Hunnam]], [[Adrian Grenier]], [[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]], and [[Scott Speedman]] also auditioned for the role of Dawson, while [[Adam Brody]] read for Pacey.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Heldman|first=Breanne L.|url=https://ew.com/tv/actors-who-auditioned-for-dawsons-creek/|title=Actors you didn't know auditioned for Dawson's Creek|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=January 20, 2018|access-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref> [[Josh Hartnett]] also auditioned for a role.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cinema.com/articles/1019/40-days-and-40-nights-josh-hartnett-interview.phtml | title=40 Days and 40 Nights : Josh Hartnett Interview }}</ref>

With the role of Dawson's best female friend Joey Potter, casting directors were looking for a [[tomboy]] character. Williamson and his team were initially close to casting actress [[Selma Blair]] in the role who had auditioned "very tough, [but] with a lot of heart,"<ref name="thr"/> when an audition tape of Katie Holmes came in, in which she had filmed herself in her basement, with her mother reading Dawson's lines.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Chilton |first=Charlotte |date=December 11, 2020 |title=30 Things You Probably Never Knew About 'Dawson's Creek' |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g34656618/dawsons-creek-fun-facts-trivia/ |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=[[Marie Claire Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref> Williamson thought she had exactly the right look for Joey, citing that "she had those eyes, those eyes just stained with loneliness."<ref name="Rapoport">[[Adam Rapoport|Rapoport, Adam]]. "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon", ''[[GQ]]'', April 2002.</ref> He asked her to come to [[California]], but a conflict with her school play schedule prevented her from doing so.<ref name=":1" /> Upon her arrival in [[Los Angeles]] two weeks later, she was able to secure the role.<ref name="It Girl">Borrelli, Christopher. "The It Girl: For Toledoan Katie Holmes, Stardom Is Just Around the Corner". ''Toledo Blade''. January 11, 1998. Arts and Entertainment, 1; "Katie Holmes", ''Current Biography''.</ref><ref>Pearlman, Cindy. "'America's little sister' hits it big." ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. August 15, 1999. pg 3.</ref>

Michelle Williams, who had acted in ''[[Lassie (1994 film)|Lassie]]'', ''[[Species (film)|Species]]'', and in guest spots on TV sitcoms,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 14, 2011 |title=The Evolution Of Michelle Williams |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-evolution-of-michelle-williams/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920113525/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-evolution-of-michelle-williams/ |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |access-date=May 14, 2022 |website=Total Film}}</ref> impressed Williamson when she auditioned with a heartfelt scene in which her character Jen Lindley goes in and sees her grandfather lying in the bed, transforming herself "into this broken child who just needed to be fixed".<ref name="thr"/> [[Katherine Heigl]] also was one of the actresses who auditioned for the role of Jen after [[Steve Miner]], who directed the show's pilot and Heigl's 1994 film ''[[My Father the Hero (1994 film)|My Father the Hero]]'', brought in the young star.<ref name=":9">{{cite magazine|last=Stack|first=Tim|url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/03/28/dawsons-creek-reunion-casting-stories/|title=Dawson's Creek reunion: Katherine Heigl could have been Jen and other casting stories|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 28, 2018|access-date=April 3, 2018}}</ref>