A Dawson’s Creek actress is showing her support for her onscreen son, James Van Der Beek, as he battles cancer.
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Over twenty years after the hit teen drama ended, Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson Leery’s mom, Gale Leery, on the show from 1998 to 2003, revealed her private battle with colon cancer in 2007.
This news comes just days before the Dawson’s Creek cast reunites on Monday for an F Cancer benefit. The event will support James Van Der Beek, 48, who announced in 2024 his diagnosis of stage 3 colorectal cancer.
“It was just about ready to break out of the wall,” Humes recalled to Us Weekly recently. “It could’ve been a terrible situation, but we caught it in time. My doctor said we dodged a bullet, and it was all because of early detection.”
“Cancers are survivable, but go out and get screened. Thankfully, that’s part of James’ journey,” the actress added.
Dawson’s Creek Actress Says She’s Spoken to Her Onscreen Son Often Since His Cancer Diagnosis
Humes and Van Der Beek have spoken frequently since his diagnosis.
“We’ve had multiple conversations that are very uplifting and spiritual,” Humes told the outlet. “He knows I’ve got his back 100 percent. He’s going to get through this, and we’re all coming together.”
During the benefit, Humes, Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Busy Philipps, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, and Meredith Monroe will perform a live reading of the show’s pilot episode.
It was a way for us to actually have a reunion, all of us together, and celebrate James’ life,” Humes added. “Because he’s dealing with a very difficult situation; very optimistic, but a difficult situation. Together as a TV family, we just thought we needed to be there for him and rally around him.”
Dawson’s Creek alum Jason Moore is set to direct and produce the show. The 54-year-old will produce the reading alongside Williams, 45, her husband Thomas Kail, the show’s creator Kevin Williamson, Carl Ogawa, Maggie Brohn, and Greg Berlanti.
The beloved series quickly rose to popularity after airing in the late ’90s. Fans followed Joey (Holmes) as she navigated school after her mother’s death and managed a love triangle with Dawson (Van Der Beek) and best friend Pacey (Jackson).