HOLLYWOOD—The TV and film arena are mourning the loss of actor James Van Der Beek who died on Wednesday, February 11 after a long battle with colon cancer at the age of 48. James got his start on the hit WB series “Dawson’s Creek” created by Kevin Williamson back in 1997.
The series aired for a total of 6 seasons. James starred as Dawson, an aspiring filmmaker who shared a storybook romance with Joey (Katie Holmes). Other notable players on the series included Joshua Jackson who portrayed Pacey and Michelle Williams who portrayed Jen.
His wife, Kimberley posted the following message on Instagram, “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and 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.”
In September 2025, there was a reunion event held with the “Dawson’s Creek’ cast in New York City for a charity event. James was unable to attend the event and had Lin-Manuel Miranda fill in as a replacement for him. He appeared via a pre-recorded video where he thanked all the attendees and fans for their support.
He had been battling cancer for several years, announcing his battle in November 2024, but he was diagnosed in 2023. Van Der Beek also starred in a series of movies during his career including “Varsity Blues,” “The Rules of Attraction,” “Texas Rangers,” “Downsizing,” “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” (2019) and most recently “Sidelined: The QB and Me” and the 2025 sequel “Sidelined 2: Intercepted.”
He also appeared on the TV series “One Tree Hill,” “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23,” “CSI: Cyber” and recently a contestant on the reality competition series “The Masked Singer” where he was the Griffin. He also competed on the ABC reality competition series “Dancing with the Stars” in 2019, where he finished in fifth place. James leaves behind his wife Kimberly, and their 6 children.
