James Van Der Beek is sharing the story about his on-screen kiss with Melissa Joan Hart in the first episode of “Clarissa Explains It All” filming.
Hart has previously described the kiss as “uncomfortable” and even told Meredith Vieira in 2015 that she didn’t find the actor attractive.
On Thursday, 46-year-old Van Der Beek spoke to Insider about his new partnership with Chewy Quaker to promote their campaign aimed at entertaining children.
His co-star is just as preoccupied with it as he is not, but he considered the entire encounter to be “uncomfortable” while he cannot recall many details of his appearance on the teenage television series, according to the “Dawson’s Creek” actor.
“All on-screen embraces are uncomfortable, particularly at that stage,” he expressed.
“Oh my goodness, how old were we? We were adolescents. I was 16 at that time, but yeah.”
Jade, Hart’s punk alter-ego, encounters Van Der Beek’s character while masquerading as Paulie, a drummer, whom Van Der Beek portrayed during the fifth and last season of the Nickelodeon series, which aired from 1991 to 1994.
After Clarissa discloses her true identity and expresses her understanding if he no longer wishes to communicate with her, the two exchange a kiss.
At that particular time, both actors were a few years away from obtaining the positions that would solidify their status as icons of the 1990s.
Van Der Beek gained fame by portraying Dawson Leery in the influential teenage series “Dawson’s Creek,” which started in 1998.
Meanwhile, two years after “Clarissa Explains It All” concluded, Hart secured the main part on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” on ABC.
In her memoir “Life Isn’t Normal: Melissa Explains All,” actress Hart recounted the story of how she was led to dub “Van Der Blah” and why she went down to kiss her in the 2013 version.
She did not find him attractive because Beek Der Van was not happy with anyone, but she expressed that she would be happy if she found someone who showed interest and love for Clarissa. The producers of the show considered three actors who gave her headshots, and Hart wrote that. Output: She did not find him appealing because Beek Der Van was not pleased with anyone, but she expressed that she would be delighted if she found someone who showed interest and affection for Clarissa. The producers of the show considered three actors who provided her with headshots, and Hart wrote that.
She penned, “This occurred five years prior to his commencement of disrobing alongside the majority of the ensemble on ‘Dawson’s Creek.'” “Oh, please. I am aware that individuals perceive him as attractive, but I personally never understood the allure.”
“Beek Der Van blurted out that the scene, in which his girlfriend kissed someone, made him feel even more uncomfortable. Hart mentioned that it was the first time she had kissed someone on screen, right before shooting that particular scene.”
Hart stated that she reacted in “an insolent-adolescent-girl-rolling-her-eyes way” that her boyfriend would also not approve of.
She playfully remarked, “When I read a kissing scene in a script, I still experience a small panic attack due to post-traumatic screen-kiss disorder (PTSKD).”
Beek’s Der Van wasn’t shy about emphasizing that she reiterated her experience while discussing Hart during her appearance on “The Meredith Vieira Show” in 2015.
She asked, “Are the rest of you experiencing the same thing? I’m unsure, but he doesn’t match my preferences. I believe he is incredibly kind and charming. I don’t find him particularly attractive.”
Van Der Beek, a father of six, spoke to Insider about why he partnered up with Chewy Quaker to put a twist on the idea of “Take Your Child to Work Day” by encouraging guardians and parents to take a break from their everyday routines and make time to play with their children.
He said, “It’s really important to connect with them and put your phone down, spend time playing with them, but also make memories with a child in their mind to know what experiences you’ve never known.”