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The Unique Audition Journey of Joshua Jackson for *Dawson’s Creek*
Joshua Jackson recently shared the challenging and surreal experiences he encountered during the audition process for the role of Pacey Witter on the popular WB series Dawson’s Creek. This insight came during an engaging conversation with Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the April 21 episode of Ferguson’s *Dinner on Me* podcast.
Jackson recounted that his audition journey involved a staggering nine separate tryouts. Initially vying for Pacey, he soon found himself auditioning for the lead role of Dawson Leery, ultimately played by James Van Der Beek. “I think I had, like, nine auditions for, I think, first for Pacey, then for Dawson, then back to Pacey,” he explained.
The final auditions took place at the Warner Bros. Ranch, a setting Jackson described in vivid detail. He recalled, “I don’t even know if this place exists anymore. The WB had this, like, Quonset hut, basically on the side. When you walk in, there’s a giant gong and a woman at the desk whose job it is to say ‘WWWB?’ every time she answers the phone. I s*** you not.” This whimsical and slightly chaotic atmosphere set the tone for what followed.
Describing the audition environment, Jackson likened the experience to a “Hunger Games moment,” referencing the intense competitive atmosphere among the dozens of actors present. “You spend literally the entire day getting called in groups — [they’re] going, like, ‘OK, you two, you four’ — getting taken back to the room, you audition, and then you come out, and four people are just gone,” he recalled of the nerve-wracking process.
In a memorable moment, after using the restroom, Jackson exited to find an assembly of executives from The WB waiting for him. “I come out of the toilet, and now every executive from The WB has come from every office everywhere and is just standing there staring at me, and James and Katie [Holmes] and Michelle [Williams], as we’re like, ‘Oh, this is where they eat us, I guess. This is what happens now. They put us in the pot.’ And they’re like, ‘Congratulations, you just got the job.’” He humorously noted that he was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t initially know which role he had been selected for.
Ultimately, Jackson, along with his fellow cast members, became iconic figures in the teen drama that captivated audiences for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. Following this pivotal role, he transitioned to other successful projects, including *Fringe*, *The Affair*, *Little Fires Everywhere*, and *Dr. Death*. Currently, he stars as Dr. Max Bankman in the new series *Doctor Odyssey*.
Reflecting on the audition process, Jackson expressed a wish that the gong ritual had been left in the past. “If you hit the gong, everybody has to scurry out of the office to get whatever the news is,” he explained. “I would like to think at some point, somebody there was like, ‘This is not great. This is weird. Also, let’s not make this poor woman say WWWB every time she answers the phone.’”
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