What if Josh played the role of Dawson instead of James?
 

I think it is fairly safe to say that there are many people out there that dislike the character of Dawson.

Hell, the media has even ripped Dawson, as well as many critics expressing the view that Joey chosing Pacey in the series finale was quite honestly a breath of fresh air...

The question I am posing is this... What if Josh Jackson would have played the role of Dawson? How do you think things would have turned out if Josh did play the role of Dawson? Could he have made the role of Dawson more appealing to those that disliked the character of Dawson?

This is a hard question to answer for me because a lot of the reason why I disliked Dawson and Dawson and Joey was James portrayal of Dawson and the lack of chemistry between he and Katie in contrast with the amazing amount of chemistry I saw between Josh and Katie. At the same time I didnt like the genral naive nature of Dawson so Im not sure if JOsh's portrayal of that wouldve made it seem different or what.

So I cant really answer the question it just hinges on how Josh wouldve porytrayed Dawson.

First off, I have a hard time trying to imagine JJ playing Dawson, he is so different from James. But, I would have to think that a lot of the things I like about Pacey are probably JJ's attributes. So he would have those same qualities playing Dawson also, so it would probably make me like Dawson more.

But he would also have the same material James had to work with, so maybe his charms would have been wasted. Or, maybe he could have made Dawson a little less condescending and arrogant, which would have made him more likeable to me. I've seen James in interviews and he has been funny and relaxed, but I never felt that while watching him in the role of Dawson.

JJ is a great actor but I just cant picture him as Dawson even when I try to. But I have no problems with James. But I do know a lot of problems people had with Dawson were his actions not James in alot of cases. Like Sugz said its hard.

Totally true. It is also difficult to picture it because Josh was so great as Pacey...

I don't know.. I just wonder if Josh would have somehow depicted Dawson in a different way than the way James played Dawson.

I guess what I am saying is the fact that Josh and James have quite different acting styles, I am wondering if Josh using his acting style in playing Dawson would have significantly changed the view that people had of Dawson...

I know, still a hard question to answer... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Geez, tough question. On the one hand, I just hated the character of Dawson from Day One. I'm not sure anyone could have made me root for such a self-centered, arrogant egomaniac. But....here's the thing. Given that Josh Jackson had amazing chemistry with Katie Holmes, and given that the original story was Dawson and Joey, would the difference of having a more charismatic actor have made the annoying characteristics of Dawson seem less irritating and more eccentric, shall we say? Kind of hard to answer, and though my initial reaction is "No, it would not have made a difference," I tend to think it might have, if only because of the JJ/KH chemistry and how the writing might have been altered to better accentuate that.

This is a great question, Michelle, but it’s a tough one to answer, because I really can’t imagine Josh playing anyone other than Pacey. If this did happen, though, I feel that Dawson would probably have come off as a more likable character, because James has a certain aloofness about him that increased over the years which made it increasingly difficult to empathize with Dawson’s character. I could actually see Josh playing a “dreamer” type like Dawson, but I really do feel that he was much more suited to the role of Pacey, and he really made that role, which was originally envisioned to be a “sidekick” role, stand out.

I knew this would make a great topic wonder why i did not start it?

Very good question... And very hard to imagine, although I have to say that -to me- Josh's acting talents are far better than James's. Josh is way more intense and I lacked that sort of thing in James's actions.

Guess if Josh were to play Dawson, I might have chosen for Dawson as a favorite character.... but it's difficult to say, really!!

I honestly can't imagine anyone else playing Dawson. James has this "quiet charm" that I feel was Kevin's original intent for the Dawson character. He also had that self-centered type quality of an only-child, which I could totally relate to being an only-child myself. I also think that he nailed that "clueless" look that was so much of the Dawson character in Seasons 1 and 2.
Josh just seems so much more on-the ball, or "aware" and I just can't see him pulling that off.

Along the same vein, I can't see ANYONE else playing Pacey. Josh IS "Pacey"...witty, charming, always with a quick retort..the perfect couterpart for both Joey and Dawson.

I think both Kevin and Paul were looking for 2 male leads with sort of opposite personalities...to attract a variety of female audiences. And I think they did a great casting job.

I think both actors did a great portrayal of their characters...and its one of the many reasons I loved the show.

I think the Question is really a Loaded Question to Draw out the More Popular Fan base. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Same. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

So I can't really answer it *lol*
Hard question and a very good one too [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Well I think that a lot of People would have loved to see a D/J ending.

But I have to admit that Mr. Van der Beek simply gave up on his Charater. Especially in S6 which I can totally understand.

I love both of them and I loved their friendship. To be fair...it`s not that Mr. Van der Beek had written his storyline by himself. So if there is someone to blame...well the writers.

And for Mr. Jackson. I think he was perfect for Pacey.I could not imagine him in any other roll.

Here's a quote from an old magazine that I have that was produced at the end of Season One. It's pure fluff, of course, but I do feel that at that time, James was the perfect choice for Dawson.

After winning a scholarship to Drew University, James put his career on hold for his education. He enjoyed studying English and Sociology at the Madison, New Jersey school, but he soon missed being on the stage and in front of the camera. Restless, he searched out more work, and came upon the lead role in Dawson’s Creek. The script impressed him: he wanted that role.

Meanwhile, the producers of Dawson’s Creek felt that they had exhausted their search, and as time was coming close for the series to be filmed, they didn’t know if they’d ever find the right lead. But James’ audition tape caught the attention of the casting directors, and it was immediately FedExed to producer Paul Stupin’s home. Stupin watched the tape and sighed with relief: he had finally found Dawson.

I thought that in the early seasons of the show, James brought an enthusiasm to playing Dawson that made me really like and identify with his character, and I honestly feel that Dawson’s “good” qualities outweighed his “bad” qualities in those early seasons, but I do feel that in the later seasons, James had lost his enthusiasm for playing Dawson, and you could see it in his performances, and as a fan of Dawson, and of the way that James played Dawson, I found that very disappointing, and I think James’ disdain for playing his character was very evident on screen, so I found it increasingly difficult to like or identify with his character.

I would have liked Dawson.

Gah. I don't know, I never liked James but still I didn't like Dawson either so maybe not but I think Josh and Katie had the best chemistry so I think I would have rooted for Joey and D-man if Josh had played him.