James Van Der Beek admits why he won’t let his kids watch him on ‘Dawson’s Creek’

Actor James Van Der Beek’s kids won’t be picking up a paddle to float down Dawson’s Creek anytime soon.

Shortly after revealing his ongoing colorectal cancer battle, the 47-year-old entertainer joined The View cohosts on Tuesday for a pre-taped segment that aired Wednesday morning, during which he resisted the idea of letting his six children (whom he shares with wife Kimberly Brook) watch his performance as the titular character across six seasons of the beloved teen drama series.

In response to Dawson’s Creek superfan (and guest View cohost) Abby Huntsman asking him if he lets his children watch the show, Van Der Beek swiftly responded.

“I do not,” he replied. “It’s a great show, I love the show, I think other kids can watch it. I don’t think my kids need to watch their dad pretend to go through puberty. That’s my stance on it.”

He previously told the cohosts that he had deep affections for the project, and speculated on why it has endured with audiences over the years.

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“It was a very well-intentioned show, people really trying to do the right thing and speaking incredibly eloquently about how they were trying to do the right thing,” he observed. “I think that seed of good intentions comes through.”

Dawson’s Creek premiered on The WB in 1998, and ran through 2003. The show also helped further launch the careers of stars like Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Busy Philipps, and Joshua Jackson.

In 2018, Entertainment Weekly reunited the cast and crew of the series for a 20th anniversary cover story, with Williams offering her perspective on why the project resonated with viewers.

“I loved that we were able to get in there in those formative years for people. That’s why people, I think, are so connected to it,” she told EW at the time. “When something affects you while you were growing up, it kind of stays in there forever. When you’re so permeable and open and trying to figure out who you are and what’s going on, whatever reaches you in those moments really becomes part of you.”