Jackson started acting in the early 1990s. He did this mainly in films. The Mighty Ducks - and its sequel - is perhaps the most famous and popular result. Whether it falls under the heading of truly breaking through is up to the fan personally to judge. For Jackson, these films are in any case a starting point on the screen.
It is 1996 when Jackson appears in a series for the first time. That honor belongs to Champs. The comedy does not receive very favorable reviews and therefore only lasts a meager season. After that season, it is already over for the champions who like to relive their glory days. So much for fame.
After another Mighty Ducks film, Jackson also made a one-off appearance in The Outer Limits (1995). The anthology series tells horror stories, in which aliens in particular play an important role. The horror continues as he stars in the film Scream. After that, the real small-screen breakthrough follows for Jackson.
The series responsible for this is Dawson's Creek. For six seasons we follow the stories of Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), with Jackson playing an important role alongside them as Pacey Witter. He is the black sheep of his family, or so they think, and therefore hangs out with his best friend Dawson as much as possible. As a fifteen-year-old, it was a turbulent time with turbulent circumstances in which to grow up.
In addition to Dawson's Creek, Jackson mainly appeared in films during this period. The exception is a small, one-off role in Any Day Now and a voice he provides in The Simpsons. Even after the end of the drama series, films are mainly where Jackson focuses his career. That is, until Fringe.
J.J. Abrams and Alex Kurtzman cast Jackson alongside Anna Torv and John Noble in the lead role of a new police unit. That unit deals with supernatural phenomena. Jackson, who plays Peter Bishop, does not join this entirely voluntarily. His father (Noble) is the only one with expertise to assist Olivia Dunham's (Torv) team. The disadvantage is that his father seems (and sometimes is) crazy and is therefore only allowed to return to society under supervision.
Fringe is - with the exception of the strange last season - a very strong series with a good cast. A series where Jackson comes into his own as a surly son who increasingly loses himself in the supernatural world of his father.
The series opens many new doors for Jackson to the small screen. From The Affair to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and the highly rated When They See Us, Jackson has a nice role in every series.
In recent years, Jackson has focused more and more on roles in television series. Little Fires Everywhere is a miniseries in which he plays the role of husband/father in the adaptation of Celeste Ng's book. In dr. Death, Jackson plays a role that is somewhat similar to Dexter. The patients who end up on his operating table are very often unlucky enough that he is the last thing they see.
Fatal Attraction fares less well. That series was canceled by Paramount+, likely as a cost-cutting measure. The re-edit of the 1987 film therefore has a less than satisfying conclusion. There is also good news for Jackson fans. Dr. Death recently released a teaser for the second season. As long as you don't end up on that operating table, you're in good shape for more Joshua Jackson.
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