Joey Potter

Living... in Capeside, Massachusetts. Because Joey’s mother died from breast cancer and her father was incarcerated for drug trafficking, she lives with her pregnant older sister, Bessie.

Profession... a sophomore at Capeside High along with her best friends, Dawson Leery and Pacey Witter. Joey also works for her family’s restaurant, The Icehouse. While juggling school and work is difficult, Joey works incredibly hard so that one day she can afford college.

Interests... escaping Capeside, filmmaking, and writing. At fifteen, Joey leads a simple small-town-life. Everyday she rows her boat across the creek and climbs the ladder to Dawson’s room, where they watch his favorite Steven Spielberg movies and talk for hours. But with Dawson’s newly developed crush on Jen, Joey suddenly finds herself with a lot of free time.

Relationship Status… complicated, but single. After Dawson becomes interested in Jen, Joey realizes that she might have feelings for him. Since they have been best friends since childhood, it seems that they are destined to be soul makes – however, there's never been any romantic tension. Joey can sense that their friendship is about to change. Early on, she tells him, “I just think our emerging hormones are destined to alter our relationship and I'm trying to limit the fallout.”

Challenge... resolving her feelings for Dawson and securing a ticket out of Capeside. After Jen moved to town, Dawson began spending a lot of time with her. Jealous, Joey sarcastically tells him, “My problem is that from the moment Little Miss Highlights showed up, you haven't said one word to me.” Joey is also determined to do well academically – which would secure her admission into college. She says, “Well, you know, if I blow off the paper, then I'll probably fail the class, and if I fail the class, well, that could be the beginning of a long and tragic downward spiral that dooms me to wait the tables of Capeside's greasy spoons for eternity.” Joey is also haunted by her troubled past and remains bitter about her mother’s death. 

Personality... feisty, tomboyish, insecure, and loyal. Joey is a critical juncture in her teen years. Insightful, she senses that life is about to change. She tells Dawson, “We're growing up…I mean even Spielberg outgrew his Peter Pan syndrome.” Joey is strong-willed and quick to defend herself. She almost once beat up a school bully with a lunch tray, merely telling him, “You take one more step in this direction and I can almost guarantee you a permanent disability.”