Joshua Jackson endured an exhausting and surreal audition process to play Pacey Witter on the 2000s WB series Dawson’s Creek, judging by what he shared with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. In the April 21 episode of Ferguson’s Dinner on Me podcast,

Back to Capeside. Joshua Jackson, who played Pacey Witter on the hit WB drama, shared insight into his friendship with co-star and former girlfriend Katie Holmes, who played his on-screen love interest,

“I didn’t even get a callback,” Ferguson said, joking it was a “prescreen before the prescreen.” He said he auditioned for the role of Dawson, which ultimately went to James Van Der Beek. Katie Holmes was cast as Joey Potter and Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley.