Grease Lightning

In a recent interview, someone asked James Van Der Beek when he realized he wanted to become an actor. His response: "It was after a sharp blow to the back of the head. When I was playing football in eighth grade in gym class, I suffered a concussion and could no longer play. I then auditioned for the musical Grease. I played Danny Zucko."

Well, if you go to James' home town of Cheshire, Connetticut, you're bound to run into people that were in that grade-school production of Grease with him (actually, they're mostly in college now). And if you're really nutty, you can strike up a conversation with one of them.

Sarah (who asked that we not use her last name), is now a student at William Smith College in upstate New York. But back in tha day, she shared the stage with America's favorite teen. So, we were dying to know, like, what was he like?!

HTP: How exactly did you know James?

S: I knew James when he was in seventh and eighth grade. He was a year older than me. We were friends during Grease, but then again the whole cast was. After we finished we would say hello and chat. But I ended up moving during the next year. We didn't go to school together at the time [of Grease] but the following year we did. The group we were in was called "Children's Community Theater". Cheshire was really big into theater - they had many groups. James got involved probably as you already know because he suffered a concussion during football. His mother is gymnastic teacher and is involved with town and the people so she probably introduced him.

HTP: Was James very popular when you knew him? Was he cool? A jock? A dweeb? What did he look like?

S: James wasn't a loser, he had great group of friends. Some people thought he was a little arrogant. He was somewhat of a jock but he has done gymnastics since he was really little. He is actually really good. Honestly he looked exactly the same but just a smaller version.

HTP: Did James stick out from the crowd in any way?

S: At the time I wasn't thinking wow he is going to be great someday I better get his autograph. But he was good - really good. He really got into his part as "Danny". I think he knew he was good and he was really confident. The only time that he went against the director was that the script was edited to suit all ages. He really was against it. Some of it was really cheesy. During the show he put some of the non-appropriate language back in.

HTP: So what was this ‘non-appropriate language’?

S: It was like, I don’t know the exact words though I still have the script I could look it up. Ass, tits and shit... stuff like that.

HTP: Do you notice any similarities between James and the character he plays, Dawson?

S: Ahh the question. This is the one question people ask. Every time I try to answer this I get all tongue tied. I can't put it into words. He is like his character - smart intellectual, clumsy with girls. But he also is really different. He knows how to impress a girl, he isn't so confused. Ahhh, I don't know there are a lot of aspects to that question so I guess get more specific like with girls life or what?

HTP: Well, okay, what was he like around girls? Was he a playa?

S: Not at all. Not back then. He liked the friend aspect - he was good friends with the girl he liked. He was very natural and friendly. I had a bad day once and we sat down and talked about it. He was caring. A bunch of girls liked him and he didn't turn his shoulder to them - he made it clear he wanted to be friends.

HTP: What is it like watching James play Dawson every week?

S: I laugh every time I watch the show. I see James acting not Dawson. The same little grins or puzzled looks that James did while in Grease. I can tell what point he is trying to get across. It is all so fake to me because I realize he is acting. So I guess I see all James and no Dawson. Especially in the kissing scenes because I don't find them quite as romantic as others. He had a kissing scene in Grease also. At the time it was a big deal. Keep in mind we were young. He actually had his first girlfriend in the play. I don't think she really cared though.

HTP: How do you react when you see James' picture on a magazine cover?

S: The first time I saw an ad for Dawson’s Creek I was watching TV - I saw his image on the screen and I screamed. My friend was on the phone and she had to get off because I was freaking out. I was really excited for him. He is everywhere now and it is really weird. He's from a little old town.

HTP: Any funny anecdotes about James from Grease?

S: They died his hair when he was in the play – black. It looked horrible but he needed it for the role. He was a great singer – still is I am sure. He actually was able to get those high notes that John Travolta did in the real Grease. We kind of made fun of him for it. When signing all of our Grease books he would circle the drawing of Danny and put ‘That' s me‘. Everyone else wrote such sweet messages about each other. That's James though.

HTP: Dawson wants to become a director, and obviously James wanted to become and actor. Do you see a similarity in how they both went after their goals?

S: Definitely. James never gave up similar to Dawson with getting into that class. He always was interested in critics. He really wanted to fit the role of Danny. You could tell he studied his part. He wanted to become Danny for the time. After the play he continued to act, it was a new passion. Now he is there.

HTP: Dawson is also sort of a romantic idealist. He wants the girl the "right" way for the "right" reason. Did James have any of these qualities?

S: I never dated him so he never pursued me but a lot of girls liked him. He didn't go after any of those girls. He went for the pretty one who was a challenge. She wasn't chasing after him. She was down to earth and mature. I would imagine he is somewhat similar in those qualities but not completely. He still would go after the girl with the looks - like Dawson. But she would have to have Joey qualities too.

HTP: So what else can you tell me about what James was like back then?

S: He was kind of dorky in middle school. Grease was different though. We all were friends, no matter what our ‘status’ was outside of the play. When I would go back to visit, my friends would say "What are you doing, he is a dork" when I talked to him. It drove me crazy because I am so against that shit. He had friends but people looked at him as high on himself - trying to be someone he wasn't. But he was so nice and he tried hard. After Grease there was a dance at school. He would show up so preppy like Dawson would. I recall dancing with him briefly and he wasn't great. You could tell he really hated those dances. But he tried hard to have fun.