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Busy Philipps is opening up about ex-boyfriend Joshua Jackson and whether they “ever dated in real life” after their kiss at the Dawson’s Creek reunion went viral.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE after appearing with Jackson and the rest of the cast for the pilot episode of 1998’s Dawson’s Creek at a charity event on Sept. 22, Phillips, 46, opened up about the steamy argument she shared with Jackson during one intimate scene.
During the performance, Phillips did not play her character Audrey Liddell (who appeared in season 5), but instead read the role of Tamara Jacobs (LeAnn Hunley), a 36-year-old teacher who becomes romantically involved with 15-year-old student Pacey Witter (Jackson), beginning a season-long story between the two that culminates with Tamara leaving the fictional town of Capeside. Mass.
The scene in question included a long kiss between Pacey and Tamara, which Jackson, 47, and Phillips recreated, complete with a dramatic drop, to the delight of the audience.
“We did everything the day before,” Phillips tells PEOPLE of the live performance. “So that day, all we did was do sound cues and light cues on stage. That was all we had time for.”
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“It was Josh and I sitting down and I looked at him and I was like, ‘I mean, we could really kiss,'” the actress reveals.
Phillips said she’s used to reading scripts live, having worked on the comedy stage show and podcast “The Thrilling Adventure Hour” for nearly 20 years.
“The thing is, you have a script, but it’s a very similar vibe,” she says. “We don’t actually kiss…when we’re kissing.”
“But you know when you do that show, sometimes when there’s something really big, like two characters kissing, the audience goes wild when you actually do it,” Phillips continued. “Because they don’t expect it.”
The CW alum said Jackson was completely on board, saying, “I’m on board. I think you have to give the people what they want.”
“Josh is hilarious and he annoys me. And yeah, we spent a lot of time together while on that show. Just during the show,” she teases. “We’ve never dated in real life.”
Busy Philips/Instagram
Phillips said that even though the kiss was pre-planned, Jackson was able to surprise her with small elements of the kiss.
“I didn’t know he was going to soak me,” she said. “I was like, ‘Come on, baby.’
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Phillips and Jackson attended the one-night-only charity event in partnership with F. Cancer at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City, along with co-stars Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Mary Beth Pale, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, and Meredith Monroe.
The night took on a bittersweet feel with the notable absence of star James Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last year and withdrew from the event the day before after developing two different stomach viruses. The reunion was led by Williams, 45, to raise awareness of F. Cancer and show support for Van Der Beek, 48.
The role of Dawson Leery was read by Lin-Manuel Miranda, with former Hamilton co-star Renee Elise Goldsberry narrating and hosting.
