James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson’s Creek, has died, aged 48.
The news was announced in a post on social media today (February 11) by the actor’s family which read: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”
It continued: “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.”
The star was diagnosed with bowel cancer in the latter half of 2023 and later publicly revealed the news in November 2024.
Last November, Van Der Beek shared with People: “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” adding that “there’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good”.
The father of six starred in many hit shows and films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including most famously Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues.
It was his lead role as wannabe filmmaker and Steven Spielberg fan Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek that made him a household name alongside the likes of Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. The show ran from 1998 to 2003.
Created by Scream writer Kevin Williamson, the teen drama followed the lives of a close-knit group of high schoolers in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. At its peak the series drew over 6million viewers in the US and has been fondly remembered by fans ever since.
At the height of his fame with the show, he was voted one of People magazines ‘Most Beautiful People in the World’. On the 25th anniversary of the show airing, Van Der Beek reflected: “Twenty-five years ago today, my life changed. Not gradually, not day-by-day…instantly.
“It was the culmination of five years of auditioning, hundreds of hours on stage, thousands of hours travelling, preparing, dreaming, hoping, hearing ‘no’ and making up reasons to keep going. But the shift was overnight.”
After Van Der Beek’s diagnosis was revealed, a charity reunion of the show took place, with Van Der Beek and former co-stars Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson involved. Health issues meant that Van Der Beek was unavailable on the day, but Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to take the role of Dawson as the cast read through some of the show’s classic scenes together.
Van Der Beek did appear via video link and delivered a message to fans, saying: “I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world,” he said.
Van Der Beek starred alongside Paul Walker in Varsity Blues. He also appeared in the adaptation of The Rules of Attraction, in which he played a drug dealer called Sean Bateman – younger brother of American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman.
He also appeared as a fictionalised version of himself in the cult television show Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and he appeared on the 28th US season of Dancing with the Stars. He recently made a guest appearance in the Prime Video comedy, Overcompensating.
He was born March 8 1977 in Connecticut and got into acting after he wasn’t able to play sports for a year following a concussion. He played Danny Zuko in a school production of Grease and started to pursue acting soon after.
Tributes to the actor have started to come in on social media. Underneath the post announcing his passing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote: “I’m so sad for your beautiful family. While James legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. Fuck Cancer.”
Actor Jenifer Garner added: “What a heartbreaking loss. So much love to you, Kimberly, and to your kids, as you navigate this tender time,” she wrote under the same post.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
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