Kerr Smith's New Memoir Revisits How He Learned Jack McPhee's Storyline on Dawson's Creek

Kerr Smith is looking back at his time on Dawson's Creek, and one of the book's key threads is how he found out what would happen to his character. His memoir, I Don't Want to Wait, is available from Tuesday, November 10.

Smith played Jack McPhee on the teen drama. The book is published by Grand Central Publishing and runs 448 pages, according to the publisher's listing.

Variety has published an exclusive excerpt in which Smith describes learning that Jack would come out as gay. The excerpt covers his conversations with Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti about the storyline. Williamson, one of the show's creators, told Smith the plan was for Jack to make an impact as a teen gay character in prime time. Prime time is the evening slot when the largest audiences tend to watch television.

Smith has also spoken about the storyline in public. In an appearance on CBS Mornings tied to the book, he said he did not know Jack was gay until months into filming. That is a detail many viewers would not have known, since the character's arc was shaped during the production itself.

The memoir also includes an interview with James Van Der Beek, Smith's former co-star, conducted in 2025. Van Der Beek played the lead role of Dawson Leery. The book brings together Smith's own account with that conversation, giving readers two perspectives on the show's early years.

Smith's book is one of several recent projects that look back at the series. Its release date is set, and the book is due in shops and online from Tuesday. For readers who watched the show as teenagers, the memoir offers a first-hand account from one of the cast members about how a character's story was planned, and how it came together on set.