Dawson’s Creekmay have launchedMichelle Williamsinto stardom, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she always enjoyed her time working on the series.
The actress, who played the role of “Jen Lindley” onDawson’s Creekfor five years, recently appeared onVariety’sActors on Actors chat, where she opened up about the difficulties of working on the WB drama and why it hindered her interest in future television projects.
“It was a very different kind of television. We did 22 episodes a year, you’d be getting scripts sort of at the last minute and you had like zero input,” Williams, 38, admitted. “That was hard, it was a little bit like a factory job. It was formulaic.”
Though the actress referred to her time onDawson’s Creekas “an incredible learning experience” and “very formative,” she acknowledged that she wasn’t “yearning to repeat” another project like it once the show ended because she “didn’t want to be told what to do.”
“I don’t think I’ve done television in between then and now because of a fear of loss of input,” she shared.
Instead of acting in television shows, Williams immersed herself in projects on the big screen, includingBrokeback Mountainin 2005 andShutter Islandin 2010.
Her perspective on television changed, however, when she was recently approached to do FX’sFosse/Verdonwith Oscar-winning actorSam Rockwell.
“People had been saying for a long time, ‘Television is different now,’ and I could see that that was true and it was something that I should open myself up to,” Williams revealed inVariety‘s chat.
“When this came along with Sammy — ol’ Sam Rockwell — I’ve always wanted to work with him,” continued the New York-based actress, who plays Gwen Verdon in the mini-series.
“It was him and it was [executive producer and director] Tommy Kail and it was all these New Yorkers and at home, I said ‘Okay, I want to try it again,'” she recalled.
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Dawson’s Creek, which aired on the WB from 1998-2003, also starredJames Van Der Beek,Joshua Jackson,Katie Holmes, Kerr Smith, andMeredith Monroe.
Despite not always being fond of her time on the series, Williams has still maintained friendships with her former costars — so much so that they even have agroup chat together, according to Monroe.
“We’re all in a group text… We reconnected and now we have a group text going again, so that’s been nice,” Monroe revealed during the cast’s reunion for Entertainment Weekly‘s 20th-anniversary cover shoot.
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During the reunion, Williams spoke toDawson’s Creek‘s impact and praised the series for connecting with fans during their “formative years.”
“When you’re so permeable and open and trying to figure out who you are and what’s going on, whatever reaches you in those moments really becomes part of you,” she toldEW.
And while fans have hoped that a series reboot may be in their future, Williams isn’t so sure she’ll be included if things ever came to fruition.
“I died,” the Oscar nominee told hosts on theTodayshow. “I would have to come back as a ghost — or put a lot of filters on the camera, and I’ll do flashback scenes.”
source: people.com
