James Van Der Beek, the actor best known for starring in the teen TV drama “Dawson’s Creek” and films including “Varsity Blues,” has died. He was 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” reads a note posted on Van Der Beek’s Instagram page. “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.”
Van Der Beek revealed in a November 2024 Instagram post that he’d been diagnosed with cancer, stating that despite the diagnosis he was “in a good place and feeling strong.”
Later that month, the actor further revealed to People that he was battling Stage 3 colorectal cancer. Van Der Beek shared that he received the diagnosis after a colonoscopy.
In December 2024, Van Der Beek joined “Good Morning America” to discuss his mindset and emotional state during his ongoing battle with the disease.
“And thus began the full-time job of having cancer, signing up for all the various medical portals and getting on the phone with insurance and creating appointments … I was not prepared for just how much of a full-time job that it really is,” Van Der Beek said.
“I’m going to make changes that I never would have made otherwise, that I’m going to look back on in 30 years and say, ‘Thank God this happened.’ So, what can I do right now in order to make that the case? And that’s how it was, about 90 percent of the time,” he went on. “But 10 percent of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess, which I feel like is a pretty good percentage.”
Kimberly Van Der Beek shared the news of her husband’s passing on Instagram, and reactions have been pouring in all afternoon from friends and former co-stars.
Van Der Beek’s career spanned more than three decades, extending across television, film and voice acting.
Born March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek began acting while in middle school and made his professional debut at age 16 in a 1993 off-Broadway production in New York City. He continued to appear in various amateur and professional productions throughout high school and while attending New Jersey’s Drew University.
It was while he was a student at Drew that Van Der Beek in 1998 auditioned for and won the title role of Dawson Leery in The WB network’s new show, “Dawson’s Creek.” Van Der Beek dropped out of Drew University to star in the show for the whole of its six-year run, opposite fellow cast members and future stars Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.
“That was when life was at its craziest,” Van Der Beek reflected about his time on the hit show in a 2020 interview with “Good Morning America.” “At 20 years old I got stupidly lucky and found myself in a zeitgeist, cultural phenomenon TV show, and I was suddenly famous.”
The cast of “Dawson’s Creek” went on to form lasting friendships. They later gathered on a stage in New York in September for a benefit held in part to support Van Der Beek and his battle with colorectal cancer. Van Der Beek was forced to cancel his appearance at the last minute due to a stomach virus, but he sent a prerecorded message to fans.
“You’re the best fans in the world,” Van Der Beek said in that message.
Van Der Beek made his television debut on an episode of the Melissa Joan Hart Nickelodeon series “Clarissa Explains It All,” delivering a line that hinted at his future on-screen presence: “No girl ever went through so much trouble just to impress me.”
Over the years, Van Der Beek built a home on television across a wide range of genres. He appeared on the daytime drama “As the World Turns,” and in the adult years following “Dawson’s Creek,” he made a few appearances on “One Tree Hill,” played a doctor on the medical drama “Mercy,” and portrayed a heightened version of himself on the sitcom “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.”
In one memorable exchange from that series, his character quipped, “I’m a celebrity.”
His later television work included starring roles on “CSI: Cyber,” guest star on “Pose,” and be the voice of Boris Hauntley on the animated Disney Junior series “Vampirina.” Van Der Beek also competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2019, advancing to the semifinals.
In addition to his television success, Van Der Beek established a film career. He is perhaps best known on the big screen for the high school football drama “Varsity Blues.”
In an interview with KABC-TV days before the film’s release, Van Der Beek reflected on the physical demands of the role.
“We all got injured a little bit,” he said. “I mean, we all took hits. It was great. And I say that with a big smile on my face because, you know, we all felt like real players.”
The role earned him the best breakout male performance award at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards.
His film credits also include the western “Texas Rangers,” the dark comedy “The Rules of Attraction,” the 2009 thriller “Formosa Betrayed,” 2013’s “Labor Day,” with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, and the 2019 comedy “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.”
Van Der Beek was married twice. He’s survived by his wife, film producer Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children.
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