Holmes started acting
in theater productions in high school, but didn't think she had a shot
at stardom living in the Midwest. Fate intervened when she was
attending a national modeling and talent convention in New York City,
and she met a talent manager who encouraged her to come to Los Angeles
for television's pilot season.
On her very first professional audition, Holmes dazzled the casting
director for the acclaimed feature film "The Ice Storm."
Directed by Ang Lee ("Sense and Sensibility"), the Fox
Searchlight release won the screenplay award at the Cannes Film
Festival...
When the next pilot
season came up during her senior year of high school, Holmes opted to
skip coming out to Los Angeles to perform in her school's production
of "Damn Yankees" as Lola. For the "Dawson's Creek"
audition, she sent in a videotape from Toledo, and when the call back
conflicted with her play's opening night, she declined rather than let
down her classmates. Fortunately, the producers were able to
reschedule her audition and she landed the series regular role of Joey
Potter.
