Joshua Jackson Reacts to Dawson’s Creek Theme Song Playing as He Appears at Emmys 2024

“Ah yes, this song,” Jackson joked as he walked on stage at the 2024 Emmys

Joshua Jackson was surprised with a blast from his past at the 2024 Emmy Awards.

When walking on stage with Matt Bomer to present the Emmys Governor’s Award to screenwriter Greg Berlanti, Jackson was met with the Dawson’s Creek theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait" by Paula Cole, playing in the background. He immediately let out a chuckle, with Bomer laughing alongside him.

“Ah yes, this song,” Jackson, 46, joked when he got to the mic as the audience clapped at the throwback.

The pair went on to honor Berlanti, who was a showrunner on Dawson’s Creek, recognizing him for facilitating the first gay kiss on primetime television between Jack (Kerr Smith) and Ethan (Adam Kaufman) in the season 3 finale episode.

“TV history was made on Dawson’s Creek as Greg was the first writer-producer — thank you — to show a gay kiss on primetime between two teenagers, and that was back in 2000,” Jackson said. “I remember being so proud — thank you again — to be a part of that show and at the same time, I didn’t understand how big it was.”

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“Greg gave us a beautiful, relatable, and yes, the first portrait of a gay teen who acted on his desires with the same anxiety everyone has over their first kiss,” he added.

Bomer, 46, went on to call the scene “a huge moment,” which Berlanti, 52, has plenty more of.

“Greg has always given us big moments, ones that challenge us to be better versions of ourselves,” he said.

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The actors took the opportunity to celebrate Berlanti’s work outside of the entertainment industry. They noted his charity, Berlanti Family Foundation, which primarily benefits cancer research and LGBTQ+ organizations.

“In everything he does, his impact on the LGBTQ community, on our industry and on humanity is immeasurable,” Bomer said.

“And like all visionary producers, he is one step ahead of the audience with his shows,” Jackson added. “He opens the door, and as we go through, we realize we are more comfortable with characters having real-life experiences than we ever could have imagined.”

As Berlanti went to accept the award, the theme song of another of his shows — Everlane — played. “There is no thank you that could ever be enough," Berlanti said before he shared his story of the support he received as a young gay kid who didn’t see many examples on TV of people like himself.

“To have traveled that distance from that scared kid years ago to this stage with my husband in the audience and our two beautiful children Caleb and Mia watching at home — go to bed as soon as this is over,” he laughed. “When I think about how much the world had to change to make the life I'm living now possible, even in hindsight, it is unimaginable to me.”

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