Sony Pictures Television

“Dawson’s Creek” was basically the “This Is Us” of the late ’90s and early ’00s. If you weren’t crying your eyes out by the end of an episode we’ll just assume you were dead inside. And that’s mainly because the characters themselves bawled a lot. But only Dawson’s tears had the honor of being turned into one of the most viral memes ever.

“I feel like everybody on this show cried more than I did and I was the one who got caught in the loop!” James Van Der Beek said of a popular “Crying Dawson” meme in a recent cast reunion interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“It’s not how many times you cried. It’s how you cried,” Joshua Jackson, who played Pacey, added.

Also Read: Sorry, 'Dawson's Creek' Fans, You Probably Won't Get a Reboot -- But You Might Get a 'Reinvention'

But it’s cool, cause Van Der Beek knows how to laugh through the tears.

“I love it. It’s my favorite thing about the whole show,” he said, jokingly. “It’s hilarious to me that you can work for six years on a show … and it gets boiled down to three seconds. It’s a perfect way-of-the-internet.”

Michelle Williams had no idea what they were talking about during this interview — so you also get the pleasure of watching her discover the creation for the first time, courtesy of Busy Philipps phone.

Also Read: Katie Holmes to Star in Ilene Chaiken Fox Drama Pilot

Watch the clip here:

'Dawson's Creek' 20th Anniversary: Where Are They Now? (Photos)

They grow up so fast. "Dawson's Creek," one of the classic '90s teen dramas that ran for five seasons from 1998-2003 on The WB, turns 20 this week. And most of those kids from Capeside have all gone on to bigger and better things. Heck, one of them is a four-time Oscar nominee, and another married Tom Cruise. Here's where they are now:
The WB
James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery

James Van Der Beek went from teen heartthrob to crying internet meme to spoofing on Diplo for his new series playing the famed DJ, "What Would Diplo Do?" He's also starred with Krysten Ritter in "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23."
The WB
Katie Holmes as Joey Potter

One of Katie Holmes's first post-"Dawson's" roles was as Rachel Dawes in "Batman Begins," a stark turn from the show's soapy charms, but her most recent role is a scene-stealing performance in Steven Soderbergh's "Logan Lucky," where she plays a sharp-tongued Southern belle.
The WB/Bleecker Street
Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley

Jen Lindley shook up the creek, and Michelle Williams has since shaken up Hollywood. In 2017 alone she starred in "Wonderstruck," "The Greatest Showman" and Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World" as she hunts for her fifth Oscar nomination.
The WB/Sony Pictures Entertainment
Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter

Joshua Jackson moved away from his lovably smart slacker persona with extended turns on the sci-fi series "Fringe" and most recently on Showtime's "The Affair."
The WB/Showtime
Kerr Smith as Jack McPhee

Kerr Smith has found another teen drama to lend his name to, having most recently appeared in a recurring role on Freeform's "The Fosters."
Getty Images
Mary Beth Peil as Evelyn "Grams" Ryan

Grams hasn't changed one bit, as she can shoot the same stern look in "The Good Wife" as she did back in the day.
The WB/CBS
John Wesley Shipp as Mitch Leery - "The Flash"

After serving as a father and mentor to Dawson, John Wesley Shipp now looks over Barry Allen on "The Flash" (he originally played Barry Allen in an early '90s series before joining "Dawson's Creek.")
The WB/The CW
Busy Philipps as Audrey Liddell

Busy Philipps was a late addition to the cast of "Dawson's Creek," but she's grown right along with the rest of the cast. She had a long stint on "Cougar Town" and most recently appeared in the HBO comedy "Vice Principals."
The WB/HBO
Michael Pitt as Henry Parker

Michael Pitt's Henry Parker was a recurring character in Season 3 as a football star and love interest for Jen, but he really made his bones as Jimmy Darmody in "Boardwalk Empire." He's also appeared most recently in "Ghost in the Shell" and the indie "I Origins."
The WB/Fox Searchlight
Chad Michael Murray as Charlie Todd

Just before he got his own teen drama in "One Tree Hill," Chad Michael Murray appeared in Season 5 of "Dawson's Creek" as a womanizing newcomer who dates both Jen and Joey. He most recently appeared on ABC's "Agent Carter" and CMT's "Sun Records."
The WB/ABC

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James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson have all thrived since leaving Capeside

They grow up so fast. "Dawson's Creek," one of the classic '90s teen dramas that ran for five seasons from 1998-2003 on The WB, turns 20 this week. And most of those kids from Capeside have all gone on to bigger and better things. Heck, one of them is a four-time Oscar nominee, and another married Tom Cruise. Here's where they are now:

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