Why Joshua Jackson Is Comparing His ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Audition to ‘The Hunger Games’

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Joshua Jackson‘s audition for Dawson’s Creek was a competition, to say the least.

In a recent episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast “Dinner’s on Me”, the actor from “Doctor Odyssey” reminisced about auditioning for the popular drama series, likening it to the experience of participating in “The Hunger Games“.

He mentioned that he had approximately nine job interviews, “I believe I tried out for Pacey first, followed by Dawson, then back to Pacey again.” Eventually, he secured the part of the beloved character, Pacey Witter, while James Van Der Beek played Dawson in the end.

During the last audition, Jackson found things becoming strange. “They led you to the Warner Brothers Ranch,” he reminisced, “I’m not sure if it still exists today.” He continued, “The WB had a Quonset hut off to one side. When you entered, there was a massive gong and a woman at the desk whose role was to say ‘W, W, WB,’ each time she answered the phone, mimicking their well-known jingle.

I’m not joking,” the actor from The Affair went on to say. “In that room were 35 prospective children who found themselves in a situation reminiscent of The Hunger Games. For the entire day, we were called in groups.” He remembered smaller groups of two and four being summoned for auditions, “and then, those who had gone in would emerge, only to find that four people had vanished. Then, two more people were missing.

Jackson recollected staying there all day, not leaving until the sun set. However, when it came to the last round of auditions, he claimed he was in the restroom and allegedly heard the bell toll.

Stepping out of the restroom, I found myself surrounded by executives from Warner Bros., all gathered and gazing at James, Katie Holmes, and Michelle Williams, while we looked at each other in bewilderment, thinking, “This must be where they devour us.” However, to our surprise, they congratulated us instead, saying, “Congratulations! You’ve just landed the roles.

Jackson admitted he wasn’t sure which part it was that he first secured, mentioning that it made him uneasy simply being in the room.

He described their past methods for casting: “Whenever someone struck the gong, everyone had to rush out of the office to learn the latest news. At some point, I imagine someone might have thought, ‘This isn’t ideal. It’s peculiar.’

For six seasons, spanning from 1998 to 2003, the series “Dawson’s Creek” portrayed a close-knit circle of friends as they navigated their teenage years and early adulthood in the make-believe town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

Jackson expressed his gratitude for being chosen for the show, stating, “The paycheck and the transformation it brought in my life were more than I could ask for. It’s no secret that I’ve always loved acting and performing, so when I found out I was given the opportunity to do this every day, I was both grateful and amazed.

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2025-04-23 05:54