Kerr Smith recalls fearing anti-gay protesters during Dawson’s Creek

Kerr Smith says he feared violence from anti-gay protesters during the height of Dawson’s Creek, recalling crowds outside the production and moments when he felt he could be attacked for playing Jack McPhee, one of network TV’s first openly gay teen characters. In a recent podcast appearance, Smith described people “angry as hell” gathering near the set and said the climate in the South amplified the hostility he faced at work.

Smith also said the character’s sexuality was kept so closely guarded that even executives were not told at first, a choice that reflected concerns about the television marketplace in 1998 and the potential risks to a young actor’s career. He credited private conversations with friends and colleagues for helping him decide to embrace the storyline, which he now frames as both a professional challenge and a turning point for representation.

The actor’s account arrives alongside renewed attention to the show’s landmark kiss in 2000, widely cited as the first passionate same-sex kiss between two men on U.S. network primetime, which became a flashpoint for debate about what teen dramas could depict. Smith’s comments track with contemporaneous accounts from creatives who pushed to center Jack’s perspective, arguing that a romantic moment on screen would correct years of coded or minimized depictions.

Smith’s reflections, which follow reporting first highlighted by Deadline, add detail to how the production navigated safety and optics at the time, including the presence of protesters and the use of brick-and-mortar barriers between cast areas and demonstrators. He says the experience ultimately affirmed his decision to continue with the arc, and he’s now preparing a memoir that revisits the period and its impact on his life and the show’s audience.