For six seasons, Katie Holmes starred as Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek, a role that catapulted her to stardom when she was just a teen. Since her time on the drama series, the esteemed actress has undergone an incredible transformation in the spotlight.
Katie, born in 1978 in Toledo, Ohio, began starring in school plays and musicals after developing a passion for theater very early on. In fact, she initially refused to travel to Los Angeles to screen test for Dawson’s Creek because she was starring in her school’s production of Damn Yankees at the time. Instead, she sent producers an impressive audition tape despite facing some technical difficulties.
“The funny thing is, is that Kevin Williamson, who created the show and saw the tape, he said, ‘Katie, I only saw half of your audition because your sister’s volleyball game was taped over it,’” the Coda actress shared during a March 2018 visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “And I’m still that good at technology. That’s what got me the role, I guess.”
The first episode of Dawson’s Creek aired in 1998. Viewers saw Katie’s dynamic acting abilities on display as she shared the screen with James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. The series aired its final episode in 2003 and launched the careers of all four of its stars.
In addition to creating a lifelong bond with her costars, Katie learned several pivotal lessons about chasing her dreams in Hollywood.
“It really taught me discipline,” the Ray Donovan alum said at a November 2014 Q&A, per Us Weekly. “We worked long hours every day. We learned about telling a story in seven days and keeping energy up while in character. So, it was a really good foundation for being in this business and putting the work in.”
After her time on Dawson’s Creek, Katie landed several captivating roles on the big screen including First Daughter, Batman Begins and Logan Lucky. She also took her talents behind the camera, directing and producing the 2016 drama All We Had. To top it off, Katie has continued to flaunt her fabulous style on red carpets all over the world.
Keep scrolling to see Katie’s incredible transformation photos from then and now.
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