James Van Der Beek revealed his favorite Dawson’s Creek scene and it involved Katie Holmes

The scene Der Beek singled out was the emotional sequence in which Dawson watches Joey leave for college

Before his death in February 2026, James Van Der Beek shared a memorable favorite moment from his time on Dawson’s Creek and it centered on his on-screen chemistry with co-star Katie Holmes.

Van Der Beek, best known for playing Dawson Leery on the iconic late-’90s teen drama, revealed in past interviews that one of his most cherished scenes involved Holmes’ character, Joey Potter.

The scene he singled out was the emotional sequence in which Dawson watches Joey leave for college. In discussing the moment, Van Der Beek said it resonated with him because it captured the bittersweet transition from youth to adulthood a core theme of the series.

“Dawson’s Creek was all about growing up,” he once explained. “And that scene, where Joey’s leaving, it felt like the end of innocence but also the beginning of something else.” Van Der Beek pointed to Holmes’ performance as part of what made that sequence so powerful and poignant.

Fans of the show have long pointed to that moment as one of the series’ most affecting, highlighting the chemistry between Dawson and Joey as central to the emotional heart of Dawson’s Creek. The actors’ real-life friendship off set only added depth to their on-screen dynamic, Van Der Beek noted in other interviews.

As tributes poured in following his death at age 48, many fans revisited classic episodes and scenes that defined his career. The fact that Van Der Beek chose such a deeply human, emotionally layered moment as his favorite reflects his connection to the character and the story he helped bring to life for a generation.