Joshua Jackson was as surprised as the crowd when the Dawson’s Creek theme tune performed at the 2024 Emmy Awards.

As the 46-year-old actor stepped onstage alongside Matt Bomer to present Greg Berlanti with the Governor’s Award, Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” began to play. At the time, Jackson couldn’t help but chuckle on stage.

“That was just a genuine laugh,” he told The Hollywood Reporter about the viral video. “That moment surprised me and made me laugh.”

“Matt and I were standing backstage, and as you get closer, I think we were both getting into the sweaty palm moment,” he said, reflecting on his thoughts before taking the stage. “I believe we were genuinely discussing how we were going to walk out of here. Are we acting excessively formally?

We’ve essentially reached the stage where we’re expressing uncertainty. What do you think? I don’t know. What do you think? When we take our first step, they begin playing the [Dawson’s Creek] theme.”

When Jackson and Bomer, 46, approached the microphone on the Emmys stage, Jackson laughed at the song choice, saying, “Ah yes, this song,” before saying a few words to honor Berlanti and the impact he has had on TV—particularly on Dawson’s Creek, as he was “the first writer-producer to show a gay kiss on primetime between two teenagers.”

“I was proud to be part of that show, but I didn’t realize how big it was,” says Jackson.

Aside from Dawson’s Creek, Jackson is presently appearing in Ryan Murphy’s latest television series, Doctor Odyssey, in which he plays a doctor on a luxury cruise ship.

He described the series, which launched on September 26, as “a tribute to the ABC shows of my youth” to THR. “I wanted to work on something that, despite all of the drama and the outcomes of medical occurrences in each episode, concluded on a positive note. This was it.”

At the show’s premiere in Los Angeles, he told PEOPLE that he enjoys “pushing the envelope,” as Murphy is known to do, and teased what surprises will be on board.

“I believe it keeps audiences on their toes.” It makes the show fun, and he likes to push the envelope, but he also keeps the characters grounded enough that it feels earned,” Jackson said of the medical procedural. “It’s not just craziness for the sake of craziness.”