LEGEND

Watch James Van Der Beek’s Best Acting Performance

It turned out that Dawson had a naughty comedy streak.

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James Van Der Beek was the best a--hole.

That’s a testament to how talented he was.

In the kind of news that lands on your heart like one of those safes falling from the sky in a Looney Tunes cartoon—because only in a world that outrageous could something like this possibly make sense—Van Der Beek died at the age of 48, following a battle with cancer.

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He’s, of course, best known for his role on Dawson’s Creek, playing the defining Everyman—or, Everyteen—for an entire generation, a soulful, brooding cinema lover who maybe felt too deeply and lived too chaotically. (Those are things, of course, we know now are the best guideposts for how to live a life, which is probably why Dawson resonated with so many people.)

But my favorite performance of his is on an entirely different kind of show, the underappreciated comedy masterpiece that is Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23.

The comedy series ran on ABC for two short-lived seasons from 2012 to 2014. Krysten Ritter played the titular b-word, actual name Chloe, who ran a scam asking for roommates to pay their rent up front and then being an absolute monster and driving them away. But Dreama Walker’s June proves unflappable, forcing Chloe to forge an unlikely friendship.

Van Der Beek played a fictionalized version of himself on the show, a friend of Chloe’s and an absolute diva, indulging in every stereotype of a spoiled, narcissistic Hollywood star. He was the true scene-stealer of the show, finding delicious ways in every episode to spin his celebrity image on its head.

After Dawson’s Creek, every assumed Van Der Beek was certainly a nice guy, and maybe even went so far as to associate him, the person, with a lamby, pushover version of his character. So showing up in Don’t Trust the B, knives sharpened to filet that persona with such cutting comedy was a blast to watch. Actors aren’t exactly known to have great senses of humor about themselves. But here was a situation where a person wasn’t just in on the joke, but ready, willing, and eager to exploit it.

You can purchase episodes of the show on Amazon and Apple TV. It’s worth a watch, I promise you.

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Kevin FallonEditor-at-Large, Obsessed

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