James Van Der Beek was so exhausted after finishing his six-year stint on Dawson's Creek; he contemplated giving up acting for good. The star shot to fame as the lead character Dawson in the hit teenage drama, which ran from 1998 until 2003.

He admits he was tempted to quit Hollywood once and for all when the show wrapped - and credits an extended hiatus with later reviving his love of performing.

He tells PopEater.com, "I was so burned out after six years of doing it that I thought I'd never do it again. In all my wisdom at age 26! And so I kind of dropped out for a bit. I disappeared for a little while and recharged and grew up a little bit. And then, a couple (of) years ago, I started saying yes to these things that I was being offered. Television guest spots and guest arcs, and I just started having a lot of fun. I started doing a lot of different television shows and worked with a lot of cool people. And it kind of sparked a passion for it again."

Van Der Beek has now landed a recurring role on the medical drama Mercy, and hints he could become a series regular, adding: "It's a possibility. I was actually looking for something like this. An arc in an already established show, just because I have fun doing that."

"This was a possibility to come in and try something new and if it worked, then maybe do it as a regular thing. So it's a great show, it's really well written, the actors are really great, and the character is... just a really fun way to go about your day."

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