Joshua Jackson Was Just Asked About The 'Best Advice' He Got From His Dad—But There's One Awkward Problem

What started as a standard red carpet question quickly veered into uncomfortable territory when Dawson’s Creek star Joshua Jackson was asked about advice from a father who wasn’t actually part of his life. Jackson has long been open about his difficult non-relationship with his father, John Carter.

Back in 1998, Jackson spoke candidly to The Seattle Times about his parents’ divorce, describing it as a turning point in his childhood.

---

Jackson reflected on his early family life:

“It was just me, my sister, and my mother, and we went it alone.”

Fast forward to the New York gala screening of Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, a documentary about Italian fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli, when the mishap occurred.

Online blogger and interviewer Isaac Hindin-Miller asked every guest at the premiere:

“What is the best piece of advice your dad ever gave you?”

Obviously somebody skipped the “Google him first” step of red carpet prep.

That oversight is especially glaring given how open Jackson has been over the years. In a 2021 interview with Porter, he shared more about the divorce, revealing that he later bought back his childhood home—the one his family lost when his mom and dad split.

He opened up about reclaiming his past:

“My father, unfortunately, was not a good father or husband, and exited the scene, but that house in Topanga was where everything felt simple, so it was a very healing thing for me to do.”

He has also been direct about the lasting emotional impact. In an interview with OK! magazine, as reported by Today, Jackson explained that the absence never fully disappears.

Reflecting on the long-term impact of his father’s absence, Jackson noted:

“You never really get over it. I don’t think you can. You just metabolize it. It just becomes a part of your life.”

More recently, his perspective has evolved. Speaking on Dinner’s on Me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast, Jackson reflected on how becoming a father himself—and the passing of his own dad—shifted his understanding.

He shared a more recent, complicated perspectivem saying:

“I am now a grown man with a child. I have my father, who I never became close with, [who] also passed away, and I find myself, for the first time, with a great deal of sympathy for him, because the pain he must have lived with to have four children in the world and essentially no relationship with any of them…”

So, with all of that context, this most recent red carpet moment should've landed with an uncomfortable thud. But Jackson didn’t bristle or shut down—instead, he leaned into the awkwardness.

Placing a comforting hand on the host’s shoulder, Jackson delivered a charmingly honest response:

“My father abandoned my family… You know what? The best piece of advice my father accidentally gave me in his absence is to be a good and present father!”

The clip has since racked up thousands of views, with replies and quote posts highlighting both the cringeworthy setup and Jackson’s composure.

You can watch the awkward moment here:

And people didn’t hold back:

In less awkward territory, Jackson is also making headlines for an on-screen reunion that longtime fans will recognize. He is set to star alongside former Dawson’s Creek co-star Katie Holmes in Happy Hours, a planned romantic film trilogy written and directed by Holmes.

The project follows two people reconnecting years after an earlier romance, tracing the evolution of their relationship over time.

Holmes shared a glimpse of the collaboration in a recent Instagram post:

Alongside Holmes and Jackson, the cast includes Constance Wu and Mary-Louise Parker. Jackson recently described the project as an opportunity to revisit a creative partnership that has spanned decades.

On reuniting with Holmes, Jackson told Today:

“She’s a lifelong friend now — and for us to be able to go back and do this again, and, honestly, for her to be able to create that space for us was kind of magical.”

For fans who still associate the pair with their Dawson’s Creek characters, the reunion adds another layer of nostalgia—Pacey and Joey hive, this is your moment.