Joshua Jackson's Best Onscreen Performances

Being a child actor is a lot of work. Unsurprisingly, plenty of once-famous kids leave showbiz once they're grown adults — but not Joshua Jackson. Jackson grew into his craft, explored new sorts of roles, and is still a successful actor today. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Jackson spent some of his childhood in Los Angeles before returning to Canada with his mom and sister. Jackson's mom was a casting director, but as Jackson detailed in an interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, she was "leery of allowing me to get into this business. She saw what that did to kids and had no desire to professionalize her children. But because she was also a single mom, I was in her office a lot."

Eventually, one thing led to another and Jackson ended up in showbiz. What happened next was a period of childhood super-stardom, teenage super-stardom, and finally, maturity. As an adult, Jackson has enjoyed some of best roles of his career — and we're here to celebrate them. In no particular order, these are Joshua Jackson's best onscreen performances.

The Fox sci-fi series "Fringe" ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. "Fringe" follows the FBI's "Fringe Division," which investigates the paranormal, scientifically unexplainable, and downright weird cases that stymie a traditional approach. The talented cast of "Fringe" includes Anna Torv who stars as FBI Agent Olivia Dunham as well as John Noble as "mad scientist" Dr. Walter Bishop, Jasika Nicole as lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth, and Joshua Jackson as Walter's estranged son, Peter Bishop. The series starts out very much like "The X-Files," following a case-of-the-week-style structure. But as the series progresses, a complex plot involving alternate universes, time travel, and other dimensions takes hold.

Peter is initially reluctant to join the team, due to his thorny relationship with his father. But Peter and Walter's bond heals itself over time. Peter's relationship with Olivia also grows, until it becomes the show's primary romance. The wit Jackson once brought to Pacey Witter is present in Peter, but his sincere and trustworthy demeanor makes him his own character. "Fringe" is very much worth watching if you've never seen it, and home to one of Jackson's best-ever roles.

Hulu's adaptation of Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere" offers a look at the tumult brewing behind calm suburban facades. Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington co-star as Elena Richardson and Mia Warren, respectively. Elena is a busy mom and local journalist, while Mia, an artist and single mother, rents an apartment from Elena and eventually starts working as the family's housekeeper. The Richardsons and Warrens develop a complicated bond, which culminates in deep secrets being revealed and the Richardson McMansion on fire.

"Little Fires Everywhere" provides Jackson with an opportunity to play against type. While many of his other characters take advantage of the actor's natural charm, Bill's defining characteristic is smarm. He isn't abusive or creepy in any way — he's just a clueless rich guy. Jackson's performance is a strong support to the chaos that becomes the conflict between Elena, Mia, and their kids.

The 2002 film "The Laramie Project" is based on the stage play of the same name. It explores the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, near Laramie, Wyoming. While the play stars eight actors who play a huge number of characters, the film adaptation expands the cast to tell the story of a town in crisis.

Jackson plays Matt Galloway, a bartender who ended up being one of the last people to see Matthew Shepard alive (via The New York Times). "In the ways that occasionally you get to do something important in the broader sense, that story is important," Jackson said in his interview with SAG-AFTRA. "To be able to tell the story around Matthew Shepard's death, and be able to tell it in a particular way ... and to shoot it in Laramie, Wyoming ... we had some really intense, really moving moments. That one was an incredibly beautiful and touching experience."

If there's anything we know for certain about Joshua Jackson, it's that he's one of those rare actors who is totally cool with making fun of himself. His cameo in 1999's "Muppets from Space" is just one example of this humorous self-pillorying.

"Muppets from Space" follows loveable weirdo Gonzo as he tries to discover his origins, which lands him and Rizzo the Rat in peril. Kermit and the rest of the gang must travel to space to save them. Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes make a quick cameo appearance at a beach party where alien Muppets land. Pacey makes a snide remark about how he feels like they're in a sci-fi movie, which is a funny dig at the monster movies Dawson makes in "Dawson's Creek." The whole thing is very 1999 bit of meta-commentary, and is over in a flash. But it proves Jackson takes his Pacey fame in stride, and remains proud of his past as a teen idol.

The 2000 thriller "The Skulls" was Joshua Jackson's first real cinematic foray into leading man territory. "The Skulls" is a fictional take on Yale University's infamous Skull and Bones society. Jackson plays Luke McNamara, a student who uncovers secrets, scandals, and even murders involving the powerful members of the Skulls. As he learns more and more about the Skulls, he becomes more and more deeply in danger.

"The Skulls" didn't get great reviews, to say the least. In fact, it's kind of a silly movie. That being said, Jackson does manage to pull off his leading role. Moreover, there's a definite lesson to be learned from this twisty psychological thriller. "There's a line in the movie that says, 'if it's secret and powerful, it can't be good,' and I believe that," Jackson told Entertainment Weekly, back when the film came out. "Basically, this movie's about doing the right thing, even if it means giving up privilege and perks." That's a moral that remains true, regardless of what critics  think.

Jackson has acted in a slew of indie films throughout his career. Some of them are good, some of them are ok, and some of them are just downright bad. "One Week" would fall into the latter category if it weren't pretty much saved by Jackson's lead performance. Heading back to his Canadian roots, Jackson plays Ben, a Toronto teacher who finds out that he has Stage IV cancer. He decides to forgo treatment and take off on a solo motorcycle trip to think about his life and reevaluate his choices. Many gorgeous shots of the Canadian landscape ensue.

Jackson pretty much carries the film on his shoulders: His ability to capture grief and regret with his reserved (and often silent) acting is the movie's heart. With a lesser actor at the helm, "One Week" might feel indulgent or dull, but with Jackson in place, it's a solid drama. In their review of the film, The Toronto Star praised "the understated craft in Jackson's performance as he tenderly steers his character toward enlightenment and acceptance." Jackson won Canada's Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his work in "One Week."

So, Pacey-Con isn't a film or TV show, but it's definitely home to one of Joshua Jackson's best-ever onscreen performances. This 2010 Funny or Die skit follows Jackson at San Diego Comic-Con as he tries to get attendees to celebrate his "Dawson's Creek" character, Pacey Witter. From the moment Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait" blasts onscreen while Jackson wanders around the convention center, you know you're in for a hilarious few minutes. Jackson was, of course, really there for the "Fringe" panel, but as he straight-facedly claims in the video, he just took that job to fund his true love of Pacey fanfiction.

The whole sketch is hysterical, especially since Jackson manages to keep a completely sincere front up. The Comic-Con guests he encounters seem mostly oblivious to what the heck he's doing, which just ups the laugh factor. How did the skit come about? "I just thought it was time to remind the world of the greatest character in TV history," Jackson told MTV. "The original concept was, you know, actors are always trying to run away from characters they've had in their past. Well, I wanted to do the exact opposite." As it turns out, Jackson got kicked out of Comic-Con twice while filming the sketch. But hey, you have to suffer to create a masterpiece like Pacey-Con.