James Van Der Beek, star of the iconic teen TV series Dawson’s Creek, has died at age 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” the actor’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, wrote on Instagram. “There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
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He died after a long battle with colorectal cancer.
Health Battle
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023. In November 2024, he revealed that he had “been privately dealing with this diagnosis.”
At the time, he told People, “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.” Even after his diagnosis, the actor continued working, appearing on an episode of the Walker reboot, and Sidelined: The QB and Me, a Tubi original film.
Early Career
For a generation of fans, Van Der Beek will always be remembered as Dawson Leery on The WB teen melodrama Dawson’s Creek. The show ran for 128 episodes between 1998 and 2003. The will-they-or-won’t-they tension between Dawson and Joey (Katie Holmes) kept its primarily teen audience coming back week after week. Now that Van Der Beek has died, many fans may find comfort in revisiting the series.
James Van Der Beek in Dawson’s Creek – YouTube, Entertainment Tonight
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During a summer hiatus, at the height of Dawson’s Creek fame, Van Der Beek starred in 1999’s Varsity Blues as football player Jonathan “Mox” Moxon. The film grossed over $54 million at the box office and proved his leading man potential. While the Connecticut native’s Texas accent became something of a joke, in interviews he always remained good-natured about it.
James Van Der Beek – YouTube, Entertainment Goes Pop TV
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Van Der Beek joked in 2020 that when he attempted to introduce the movie to his kids, he found they were his harshest critics. While millions will know and remember him for his acting career, family remained the main focus of his life.
Family Life
Van Der Beek met his wife Kimberly in 2009 and they married in Tel Aviv, Israel, the following year.
Together, the couple had six children. Van Der Beek was a devoted husband and father. In a 2023 interview with People, he called life with six kids a “humbling” experience, adding, “When you think you’ve got it down, you get one that throws a curveball at you,” he said. “And it’s regulating our own emotions when things do get hectic and chaos ensues, which is inevitable at times.”
Legacy
Throughout his battle with cancer, Van Der Beek put forward a gracious and positive attitude, even as he remained honest about his struggles. “It’s okay to not know. It’s okay to hit the depths of despair,” he said in an interview. “I mean, the hero’s journey is never a straight line toward ascendance.”
James Van Der Beek on Good Morning America – YouTube, Good Morning America
The authenticity with which he lived his life carried over into his work, and now his legacy. All those who found something relatable in his performances, from Van Der Beek’s time playing an awkward teen trying to find lasting love to the more self-aware versions of himself he portrayed later in his career, may find comfort knowing that although he has died, his work will live on.
What are your memories of James Van Der Beek? Let us know in the comments!
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