Joshua Jackson recently opened up about an unexpected moment at the 2024 Emmys that completely caught him off guard. The 46-year-old Fringe star was onstage preparing to present an award when a familiar tune from his past took him by surprise.
As Jackson and White Collar actor Matt Bomer were getting ready to present the Governor’s Award to TV producer Greg Berlanti, something unexpected happened: Paula Cole’s Dawson’s Creek theme song, “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” started playing. For fans of the iconic teen drama, this song is instantly recognizable, but for Jackson, it was a blast from his Dawson’s Creek past that he wasn’t prepared for.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Joshua reflected on the moment that left him laughing on stage. “Matt and I were standing backstage, and as we got closer to the moment, we were both getting those sweaty palms,” Jackson said, sharing how the nerves were kicking in as they prepped for their big entrance. “We were literallytalking about, ‘How we were going to walk out there—are we going to look too stiff? Should we try to look cool?’”
Just as they were sorting out their stage presence, the familiar melody started playing, throwing Joshua completely off-guard. “We take our first step, and they start playing the Dawson’s Creek theme song,” Jackson explained. “That was just a genuine laugh… that was me being caught off guard and laughing.”
For fans, it was a nostalgic moment, reminding them of Jackson’s role as Pacey Witter on Dawson’s Creek, a show that captured the hearts of many in the late ’90s and early 2000s. For Joshua, it was a lighthearted surprise, but also a reminder of a pivotal part of his career.
Even though Dawson’s Creek wrapped nearly two decades ago, moments like these show that Joshua’s legacy from the show is still alive in pop culture—and it seems he’s handling it with humor and grace.
