In truth, Van Der Beek was so good at taking part in Dawson — actually, at being Dawson to the legion of followers who tuned in every week — that it took him a number of years following the present’s conclusion to interrupt out of the field the Creek had mainly trapped him in. But, regardless of his lifelong affiliation with the position of Dawson and with teen drama generally, Van Der Beek by no means punched down on the style that gave him his begin. In truth, his most spectacular performances usually stemmed from his willingness to not solely embrace his personal previous however to gleefully wink and nod on the viewers who knew him means again when, bringing them alongside for the trip as he pokes enjoyable at his personal fame. Van Der Beek’s biggest position, it finally turned out, was taking part in himself.
This occurred a number of instances over the course of his profession, from a Scary Film cameo by which he climbed by way of a window, Dawson Leery-style, to an look as a barely goofier model of himself in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Again. However it’s the wildly underrated (and tragically named) ABC comedy Don’t Belief the B— in House 23 that confirmed us the most effective of what Van Der Beek was able to — and the way far he was keen to go to let everybody in on the joke. From future Recent Off the Boat creator Nahnatchka Khan, the sequence ran for 2 seasons from 2012 to 2014 and was a lot extra enjoyable than its identify implied. It adopted the story of a stereotypical Indiana woman (Dreama Walker) who strikes to the massive metropolis and turns into roommates with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), the notorious “B” of the sequence title.
Van Der Beek performed Chloe’s greatest good friend James, an exaggerated tackle himself that just about riffed on each identified Hollywood stereotype and joyfully deconstructed his public persona in hilariously enjoyable methods. From his love-hate relationship along with his Dawson’s historical past — he deploys his character’s signature flannel shirt to seduce a lady within the sequence’ pilot — to his idiosyncratic private ticks, this James is self-centered, out of contact, insecure, and painfully candid by turns. Determined to reclaim his misplaced relevance, he tries out a number of secondary profession paths, from a line of personally branded Beek Denims (“Put your cheeks in a Beek!”) to a stint on Dancing with the Stars (a transfer that Van Der Beek himself would mirror in actual life just a few years later). He’s chaotic and unhinged, taking a task that ought to have been a one-note joke and turning it into an actual, advanced character who was an ideal match for Ritter’s manic power.
Enjoying your self onscreen as soon as is difficult sufficient, however Van Der Beek managed to show it into one thing of a second profession. Certain, he acted in lots of different initiatives over time — the beloved quarterback of Varsity Blues, a serial killer on Prison Minds, a scumbag Trump worker on Pose — however the half he inevitably appeared to circle again to was himself. And there’s some wonderful honesty in that. Van Der Beek was keen to snort at himself earlier than the power to be glib and self-referential was a required facet of celeb, and his transition from Tiger Beat-style heartthrob to relatable dude keen to embrace his most cringe traits (the crying GIF, once more!) took no small quantity of bravery. It’s additionally deeply humanizing and unusually trustworthy in a means we’re hardly ever allowed to see from anybody on this trade. Van Der Beek was so particular exactly as a result of he was so keen to acknowledge his personal privilege and flaws.
Many performers have love-hate relationships with the roles that made them well-known. Van Der Beek at all times understood what he owed to Dawson Leery — and what made his most well-known position so beloved. His mockery was at all times tinged with affection, with respect, and with a deep certainty that we have been all in on the joke collectively. He was a person forward of his time, and it’s an actual loss that we gained’t get to see the place his profession would have taken him subsequent.
