James Van Der Beek, who captured the imagination of a generation of TV fans in the 90’s hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died.
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The 48-year-old’s family shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram on Feb. 11.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” they wrote. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. 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 he was battling colorectal cancer in late 2024. He was scheduled to join his fellow Dawson’s Creek castmates for a reunion in September. However, the actor was forced to pull out due to health reasons.
According to Deadline, Van Der Beek began his professional acting career at 16 in the off-Broadway play Finding the Sun. In 1997, he landed the lead role of Dawson Leery in Kevin Williamson’s hit WB show, Dawson’s Creek.
Of course, the series made household names of Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams.
The teen drama was an instant sensation, debuting in January 1998 to the WB’s highest-ever ratings, according to Deadline. It soon became the highest-rated show on television for teenage girls and the most popular program on The WB. The series ran from 1998 to 2003 and was syndicated worldwide.
In 2020, Netflix streamed the show, bringing it to a new generation of fans.
James Van Der Beek’s Career Beyond ‘Dawson’s Creek’
In 1999, as his TV career was taking off, Van Der Beek starred in Varsity Blues, a high school football drama featuring Jon Voight, Amy Smart, Ali Larter, Scott Caan, and Paul Walker.
Just three years later, he appeared in The Rules of Attraction, a dark comedy based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. The cast included Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, and Kate Bosworth.
While neither film was huge at the box office, they’ve both become fan favorites over the years and serve as time capsules of their era.
Per IMDb, Van Der Beek’s other credits include a starring role opposite Patricia Arquette on the CBS spinoff CSI: Cyber, which aired for two seasons from 2015-16. He also played a fictionalized version of himself in ABC’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, which starred Krysten Ritter and ran from 2012-14.
At the time of his death, the actor had one upcoming project: playing Dean Wilson in the highly anticipated Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle.