The Aporia · ‘Dawson’s Creek’ creator reflects on working with late James Van Der Beek: He ‘started out as a brat’

‘Dawson’s Creek’ creator reflects on working with late James Van Der Beek: He ‘started out as a brat’

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Bueno, A. (2026, October 5). ‘Dawson’s Creek’ creator reflects on working with late James Van Der Beek: He ‘started out as a brat’. New York Post. https://pagesix.com/2026/10/05/celebrity-news/dawsons-creek-creator-reflects-on-working-with-late-james-van-der-beek-he-started-out-as-a-brat/

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Quick Summary

At the Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala in Santa Monica, "Dawson’s Creek" creator Kevin Williamson reminisced about his early interactions with James Van Der Beek, noting that Van Der Beek would often complain about difficult script lines. Despite their initial friction, Williamson praised Van Der Beek for becoming an essential part of the show and highlighted his personal growth over the years. The article also mentions Van Der Beek’s struggle with the financial aspects of stardom during his early career and reflects on his recent passing due to cancer in February at age 48.

Written by AI on 2026-10-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Story summary

Kevin Williamson, the creator of "Dawson's Creek", shared memories about working with late actor James Van Der Beek at a gala event in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday. Initially, Van Der Beek was challenging to work with when they first started, often questioning why he had to say certain words that were too sophisticated for teenagers' real-life conversations. Williamson would jokingly respond by saying that since Van Der Beek mumbled, nobody would notice the complicated vocabulary. Over time, Williamson praised Van Der Beek's growth from a young actor to an accomplished man who became a husband and father, noting his significant impact on the show. Dawson's Creek aired from 1998 to 2003 and starred actors like Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams.

Written for “Dawson's Creek Creator Reflects” on 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Antoinette Bueno

78 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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All 78 articles by Antoinette Bueno →

Claims (23 extracted, 0 hedged)

“Dawson’s Creek” creator Kevin Williamson shared the playful jabs he and the late James Van Der Beek would trade while working on the iconic teen show. asserted

he → share → show

Williamson said Van Der Beek wasn’t the easiest to work with in the early days, while accepting the Hero Award at the Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala in Santa Monica, California, Saturday. asserted

Beek → say → Monica

“He would get a script and he would call me, and he would be like, ‘Why do I have to say this word? asserted

I → get → word

Nobody knows what this word means,’” he recalled. asserted

he → know → what

Williamson replied, “I would say, ‘Well, don’t worry about it, the way you mumble nobody is going to hear it anyway.’” asserted

nobody → reply → it

On a more serious note, Williamson noted that Van Der Beek gave a voice to his childhood, as he had based the character of Dawson Leery (whom the actor played for six seasons) on himself. asserted

actor → note → himself

“He was the soul of the show … he was the ultimate upgrade,” he praised. asserted

he → praise → show

“I had the pleasure of knowing James over many years,” he continued. asserted

he → have → years

“I saw him go from a young kid to an extraordinary man, a husband, a father and a friend. asserted

him → see → man

James had a full character arc.” asserted

James → have → arc

“Dawson’s Creek” also starred Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams, and ran from 1998 to 2003. asserted

Creek → star → 2003

Van Der Beek’s concerns about the script weren’t unfounded, as a common critique of the WB show is that the vocabulary is too advanced for how teenagers talk in real life. He also recalled how he wound up with “almost nothing” from “Dawson’s Creek” back in a 2012 interview, despite the popularity of the show. asserted

he → talk → show

“There was no residual money,” he told Today.com, noting that he “was 20” at the time. asserted

he → be → time

“It was a bad contract,” he explained. asserted

he → explain → ?

“I saw almost nothing from that.” asserted

I → see → that

The actor died in February after a battle with colorectal cancer. asserted

actor → die → cancer

In August, Kimberly shared a tribute to him to mark their first wedding anniversary since his death. asserted

Kimberly → share → death

“16 years ago I was the luckiest woman in the world to marry @vanderjames,” she wrote on Instagram. asserted

she → marry → Instagram

“The beauty of this marriage continues to unfold everyday with all these incredible children we have.” asserted

we → continue → children

“He continues to be present and guide us,” she added. asserted

she → continue → us

“I’m eternally grateful. asserted

I → ’m → ?

Your voice matters. asserted

voice → matter → ?

Discussions are moderated for civility. asserted

Discussions → moderate → civility

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‘Dawson’s Creek’ creator reflects on working with late James Van Der Beek: He ‘started out as a brat’

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