Kerr Smith Discusses Dawson's Creek and His New Memoir

The Weight of a Scripted Kiss

Twenty-five years after the final episode of Dawson’s Creek aired, the cultural footprint of Jack McPhee remains a subject of intense professional and personal scrutiny for Kerr Smith.

As he prepares to release his memoir, I Don’t Want to Wait: My Life on Dawson’s Creek, Smith is peeling back the layers of a production that was as much a battlefield for network television norms as it was a runaway hit for The WB.

Smith spent years of his career attempting to replicate the specific creative lightning of that era, a pursuit that has led him to document the friction between his own vulnerability and the harsh realities of a fame that included both industry-defining breakthroughs and targeted homophobic harassment.

The stakes for the series in 1998 were higher than most viewers realized at the time. Network executives were notoriously anxious about the creative direction of Jack McPhee’s character arc, and conservative watchdog groups were vocal in their opposition.

For a young actor who had only recently appeared in bit parts on Baywatch and an uncredited role in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the assignment was daunting. Smith recalls that the decision to shift Jack’s narrative was initiated by creator Kevin Williamson, who Smith suspected wanted to tell a story that would allow him to come out in some form beyond his family and friends.

Smith told Extra that he knew at the time he was about to be part of something really monumental, reflecting on the weight of the storyline that would eventually feature prime time’s first same-sex kiss.

"Dawson's Creek" star Kerr Smith says historic gay kiss was "monumental" for TV

The Logistics of a Milestone

The filming of that historic kiss, shared between Smith’s character and Adam Kaufman in the series, was a masterclass in nervous precision. The production faced active protests outside its studio gates. While he tried to keep his attention on the work, the hostility extended far beyond the studio.

Smith revealed in his memoir that he was the target of homophobic vandalism while filming the horror film The Forsaken in Yuma, Arizona, around 2001, returning to his vehicle to find it covered in red graffiti, including homophobic slurs. It is a detail he had kept private for years, illustrating the contrast between the groundbreaking work happening on screen and the societal pushback the cast navigated behind the scenes.

Katie Holmes Secured the Role of Joey Potter

The production of Dawson’s Creek was characterized by a specific alchemy that almost looked very different. Selma Blair was under consideration for the role of Joey Potter before Katie Holmes secured the part. While the industry often speculates on the “what-ifs” of casting, Smith maintains that Holmes was perfect for that role. This insight into the show’s development underscores the precarious nature of television success.

Kerr Smith Discusses Dawson's Creek and His New Memoir — Photo: AOL.com

The show’s enduring brand equity has grown in the streaming era. Since the series debuted on Netflix in 2020, a new generation of viewers has discovered the show, leading to a surge in positive feedback that Smith describes as a “million to one” ratio against the negativity he encountered. This resurgence speaks to the long-tail value of the show.

The final chapters of Smith’s memoir are anchored by a solemn tribute to his late co-star, James Van Der Beek, who passed away in February. Following a September 2025 reunion at New York’s Richard Rodgers Theatre, Smith chose to honor their 25, 30-year relationship by including recollections from the cast and crew.

For an actor who spent years trying to move past the shadow of his most famous role, the book serves as a final reckoning—a way to reconcile the boy who walked into a coffee shop with Kevin Williamson in 1998 with the man who now recognizes the true scale of the history he helped write.