James Van Der Beek admits he wants to "hide" every time he hears the 'Dawson's Creek' theme tune.

The actor played aspiring film-maker Dawson Leery in the long-running series - which also starred Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson - but says he still has trouble listening to 'I Don't Want to Wait' by Paula Cole 10 years on.

He told Celebuzz: "For some reason - and again, I need to get over this - I'm [a] 35-year-old, grown-ass man - but I want to hide somewhere [when I hear it].

"If I'm in public and the song comes on, my first instinct is to find somewhere to hide - go in a corner, duck behind a rack, run into a dressing room, find the nearest restroom, like, just get out of there.

"It's a Pavlovian response, and I think it's time for me to get over it. But for some reason, it just triggers inside of me. It's a great song, but it's nowhere near my iPod."

James and wife Kimberly Brook welcomed son Joshua in March, although he insists the choice of moniker had nothing to with with his 'Dawson's Creek' costar Joshua Jackson.

He said: "It would have been cute, but no, it's something I did not even think about. It's a great name."