4. James Van Der Beek
Shut up, Dawson, you little crybaby! Sorry...I've been waiting a really long time to say that. As much as I like to rag on the character of Dawson, who was perfectly happy whining his way through life, I really can't take a shot at James Van Der Beek, because aside from the last name with too many capitals, he's pretty much perfect. It's kind of weird, a lot of 90s stars somehow grew out of their hotness, like it disappeared as soon as floppy hair and oversized clothes went out of style. But Mr. Van Der Beek managed to hang on to his mojo. I know this one is kind of a cheat, because the show did overlap into the 2000s (did we come up for an easier way to reference that decade yet?), but the show has been off the air for ten years, so I figured it would be OK. It didn't seem right to create this list and not include James Van Der Beek. Because he's adorable. And hilarious. And he doesn't take himself too seriously, as evidenced by his role in Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23, where he plays a ridiculously self-centered version of himself. Not to mention the time he created a series of GIFs to go along with the one of him crying that everyone uses. So yeah...he was on TV in the 90s, he's still incredibly hot, and he's a personal favorite of mine. He deserves a spot on this list.