James Van Der Beek is quite a familiar face on television. The actor has been gracing our TV sets for over twenty-five years, but we first came to love him as Dawson Leery on the hit WB series Dawson's Creek. Here is a look back at some of the high points (Dawson’s Creek) and the lows (Mercy).
The Pre-Dawson’s Creek Years (1993-1998)
Believe it or not but James Van Der Beek did appear on television before he started playing Dawson Leery on the popular WB drama Dawson’s Creek. His first television appearance was at the age of 16 on an episode of the Nickelodeon series Clarissa Explains it All. His next role would come two years later on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. He would appear in three episodes. In his next television appearance, Van Der Beek would guest star on the awful ABC sitcom Aliens in the Family, which would only last for eight episodes before getting cancelled.
The Dawson’s Creek Years (1998-2003)
At the age of 20, James Van Der Beek finally got his big break on network television. In 1997, he was cast as the lead on the drama Dawson’s Creek. The show was about a group of teenagers living in Capeside, Massachusetts. The pilot episode aired on January 20, 1998 and would be the highest rated episode ever for the network that, at the time, had been around for only three years. The most watched episode was the series finale, which aired in May 2003. It was viewed by 7.8 million fans. There were a total of 128 episodes made of Dawson’s Creek. Though the series was named after his character, Van Der Beek would not appear in six of the episodes.
During this time, Van Der Beek also appeared in many feature films. The first was Varsity Blues, which won him an MTV Movie Award and a Teen Choice Award. He would then make a cameo in Scary Movie as Dawson Leery in 2000. He would star in four other films, including Texas Rangers and The Rules of Attraction.
The Guest Starring Years (2006-2011)
When Dawson’s Creek ended in 2003, James Van Der Beek took a break from television and movies. He would star in the off-Broadway play Rain Dance and write a screenplay that has yet to be produced. In 2005, he tried to make a TV comeback on the comedy series Three, which was also going to star Zachary Levi. However, the pilot was never turned into a series. Van Der Beek would spend the next several years making guest appearances on popular television series, as well as appearing in several films.
In 2006, he would voice several characters on two episodes of Robot Chicken. The following year, he would star in two chilling episodes of Criminal Minds. It was a character unlike anything he had played before: a religious serial killer. That same year, James Van Der Beek would appear in an episode of Ugly Betty and star in the television movie Football Wives, which also featured Lucy Lawless and Gabrielle Union.
The next two years would be busy for Van Der Beek. In 2008, he would make his first of three appearances on How I Met Your Mother as Simon and appear in four episodes of the drama One Tree Hill as Adam Hoyt. He would next guest star on Medium alongside his future CSI: Cyber co-star Patricia Arquette, followed by an appearance on the short-lived drama The Forgotten. In 2010, Van Der Beek would star in 10 episodes of the NBC drama Mercy, which also starred Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling. He would then guest star on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Franklin & Bash.
Two Great Comedies and One New Series (2012-2015)
In 2012, Jame Van Der Beek would finally return to TV in a permanent role. He was cast as a fictional version of himself on the ABC comedy Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23. The series was originally developed by FOX in 2009 but was passed on and never developed. ABC decided to give it a try two years later and cast James Van Der Beek, Dreama Walker, and Krysten Ritter in the three lead roles. The first season premiered in April 2011. Due to the late premiere date, only seven episodes were broadcast. The series would be renewed for a second season with the six unaired episodes from the first season airing during that time. Sadly, due to poor ratings the show received the axe on January 22, 2013. Eight of the series’ episodes were never aired but have been available for viewing online.
Van Der Beek was quickly snatched up during the 2013 pilot season for another comedy series. This one would air on CBS and be called Friends with Better Lives. The series focused on the lives of six friends all at different parts of their lives: single, divorced, engaged, and married with kids. Sadly, CBS did not give the show a chance, and it was cancelled after only airing five hilarious episodes.
Van Der Beek’s next series CSI: Cyber would only last for two seasons from 2015-2016. The series also included Patricia Arquette and Bow Wow.
The Recent Years (2016-Present)
James has continued to appear on our TV screens more recently as well. In 2017, Van der Beek was featured in the series Diplo, Modern Family, and Room 104. He can also be seen in the feature film Downsizing. During that time the actor also lent his voice to the animated series Vampirina. In 2018, Van der Beek began appearing as Matt Bronley on the popular series Pose. Additionally, he had a memorable stint on Dancing with the Stars where he placed 5th.
What is your favorite role James Van Der Beek has played on television? Let us know in the comments section below.
Photo by WB
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