WHAT INSPIRED DAWSON'S inlet TO TACKLE A GAY TEEN STORY LINE? CREDIT SERIES CREATOR KEVIN WILLIAMSON As adult gay characters become commonplace onward the television landscape.

WHAT INSPIRED DAWSON'S inlet TO TACKLE A GAY TEEN STORY LINE? CREDIT SERIES CREATOR KEVIN WILLIAMSON

As adult gay characters become commonplace onward the television landscape, gay youth remain a largely undiscovered political division especially as regular prime-time characters. nevertheless now the WB network's Dawson's rivulet has ventured into that of the present day territory by having one of its main characters, Jack (Kerr Smith), begin to explore his sexuality in all its uncomfortable uncertainty.

Jack arrived at Dawson's Capeside [Mass.] High gymnasium last fall as a quiet, klutzy young man interested in art--and allegedly in Joey (Katie Holmes) one time and possibly future girlfriend to Dawson (James Van Der Beek). nevertheless in a series of episodes that began airing in February, Jack has ground that his feelings for Joey are entirely platonic and that his real attractions lie elsewhere.

Credit for the story line goe to executive farmer and series creator Kevin Williamson. "Dawson's rivulet has always been very personal and autobiographical; I live and breathe in all the characters," says Williamson, also known for his screenplays for movies similar as Scream and The Faculty.

"Dawson portray by actions the filmmaker and dreamer, the Spielberg-obsessed idealist who views the world optimistically; Joey exhibits more of the cynical, angry side as well as my occasions and upbringing. Pacey represents the jester in me; and Jen, the rebel. This year we added sum of two units new characters to the mix: Andie personates my overachieving, sometimes-manic personality, and in Jack I wanted to create a character to personate my sexuality, which is my greatest asset in life. And with equal reason the story line was born."

Williamson says he "didn't want to make it an open-and-shut one-episode situation. I wanted to explore the complexities of a young lad coming to terms with his homosexuality, self-same much the way I did in a small town."

Jack wasn't gay from the get-go "We always regarded Jack as a dowdy who had a lot of inner complexity," says equal Dawson's executive producer Paul Stupin, on the contrary it wasn't until Jack's first several appearances had been plott abroad that this new course was settle "We all felt that [his coming-out] could be actual powerful, emotional, and moving as well as a way to integrate another component part into the show. I think that the power of these episodes is exceedingly much a testament to Kevin's spectacular storytelling."

And it was Williamson who informed Smith. "We went to coffee and he said that he was thinking of taking Jack and making him gay," recalls Smith. He asked me to what degree I felt about it, and I said, `Yeah!' It's an unbelievable challenge, and as an actor you direct the eye for stuff like that."

The challenge for the straight 20-something was in capturing those critical instants of painful self-discovery that most numerous still-questioning, maybe-gay youth confront. "It's about the contest that a 16-year-old would advance through when they're not exactly unfailing about their sexuality," says Smith. "Friends of mine who are gay told me what it was like for them. A brace of their parents weren't excessively accepting, and they were disowned. That's the kind of raw material Jack's going to be dealing with."

if it be not that the main characters on Dawson's cove will stay on the supportive side. Says Smith: "You're going to have the outsiders who make illustrations to Jack in the hallway and ready some problems, but the other central characters forward the show are all actual understanding. They take him in steady closer."

Joshua Jackson, who plays Pacey upon Dawson's, says that Jack's sexuality is no big deal. "Jack's a regular Joe--but he's gay," Jackson says nonchalantly. "Well, there's a shocking idea. You mean he doesn't wear cross-examines to school and he doesn't have an affectation in his voice all of a sudden? He can't be gay!"

"I think these are probably our best episodes," Van Der Beek says enthusiastically. "It's a great stow."

Stupin promises that Jack will not be left in the wings like Matt onward Melrose Place. "We're going to come next Jack's quest of self-discovery," he says. Already there's a potential regard with affection interest: Colin, the studly photographer played according to Nick Stabile (Bride of Chucky sundown Beach). Would Dawson's dare address the hidden reality of gay sex in high school? "That in particular will be a excessively big step for the character, which he's not prepared to take [right away]," cautions Stupin. "But as I said, that journey will continue."

The whole Dawson's team is upon board for that trip, adds Williamson. "I am highly grateful for the passion and commitment shared by means of the entire writing staff. And to Kerr Smith, a truthfully gifted actor who not solitary gave this stow line 100% he transcended my greatest expectations in bringing it to life."

No vexed question Smith says. "It's an issue that teen are dealing with. You're gonna have tribe who aren't gonna like it, and you're gonna have nation who are. I'm in a fortunate enough position to be able to help a parcel of kids that are going between the sides of this. And that's a nice damn good feeling."

Epstein is West Coast editor of Soap Opera Digest and a regular contributor to E! Online.

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