Nineties heartthrob Joshua Jackson, who stole our hearts as bad boy Pacey Witter on Dawson’s Creek, is proving why he’s continued to be iconic by getting candid about a certain explicit gay sex act he once performed on camera.
During a recent interview with Men’s Health, the 47-year-old actor opened up about his eye-opening role in the 1999 teen erotic thriller Cruel Intentions, where he starred alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, and Selma Blair. And we can’t forget Eric Mabius, who shares a particularly memorable scene with Jackson in the film.
"I wasn't on Cruel Intentions very much, but I do believe that my first day on this movie was giving a man head," Jackson said.
@menshealthmag Joshua Jackson’s first day on Cruel Intentions involved… WHAT??! #fyp
In a film full of memorable sexy moments that led to queer awakenings (remember when SMG and Selma Blair kiss?), one scene has been living rent-free in every gay Millennial’s head ever since it premiered. We’ll never forget when Jackson’s character, gay high schooler Blaine Tuttle, was caught in bed giving a BJ to hot football jock Greg McConnell, played by Mabius.
Jackson may have been simulating oral to film the iconic scene, but he joked that it was “stressful” for him at the time.
"And that can be stressful for a 19-year-old heterosexual boy, to sit in a room, and give another man a blowjob,” he said.
The interview with Jackson is part of Men’s Health’s new “Stress Test” video series, where stars break down stressful moments from their careers.
“So my stress test on this was to commit myself to this job that I had taken on and really made sure that I was all in, so to speak,” Jackson explained.
We’d love to know how he went “all in” for this role!
After filming, Jackson didn’t see Mabius again until their paths crossed when the two men were in their 30s and Mabius moved in down the block from Jackson.
Jackson explained that he was taking out his trash when Mabius and his wife walked by. The two actors recognized each other, and both started blushing when Mabius' wife wondered what was going on.
"She's like, oh, how do you guys know each other? And two of us, now well into our 30s, both blushed scarlet red," Jackson said. "Like, how do you explain what that connection was?"
