James Van Der Beek, the actor best known for bringing Dawson Leery to life in the iconic teen drama Dawson's Creek, has passed away at 48 after a battle with bowel cancer.
His family announced the news on social media, describing his final moments as peaceful and full of courage.
"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," the statement read. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace."
Van Der Beek, a father of six, received his diagnosis in late 2023 but revealed his condition to the public in November 2024. He shared with Business Insider that he first noticed unusual changes in his bowel habits, prompting him to seek medical advice. Initially, he tried cutting out coffee to see if symptoms would improve before undergoing a formal screening test.
The results showed he had stage three bowel cancer, meaning the disease had reached nearby lymph nodes. Medical experts say colorectal cancer starts as growths in the colon lining and can spread if not detected early. More men than women are diagnosed with this type of cancer, but increased screenings have helped save lives by catching the illness sooner.
Van Der Beek described the emotional impact of his diagnosis, admitting it shook the core of his identity.
"All these beautiful things that I love, and I used to define myself as - a father, a provider, a husband - all that got taken away, or at least paused," he said. "I had to sit there and say, 'Well, what am I?' And it was, 'I'm still worthy of love.'"
After sharing his own experience, he became an advocate for early detection, encouraging people to go for screenings.
"I've learned a lot," he said. "If I can save anyone from having to go through this, that's magic."
Van Der Beek rose to fame in the late 1990s, starring as Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003 alongside Katie Holmes. The show became a defining series for a generation, and his role cemented his status as one of television’s most recognized actors.
He also starred in the 1999 film Varsity Blues and later played a fictionalised version of himself in the cult series Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. Van Der Beek competed in the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars and continued taking roles even after his diagnosis, including a guest spot on the Prime Video comedy Overcompensating earlier this year.
In September, he appeared virtually at a Dawson's Creek reunion charity event after withdrawing from the live gathering due to stomach viruses. Fellow cast members Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Busy Philipps performed a live reading of the show’s pilot, with Lin-Manuel Miranda stepping in for Van Der Beek. The event raised funds for F Cancer and celebrated their castmate’s contributions to television.
Reflecting on his childhood in a 2020 ABC News interview, Van Der Beek described himself as shy and said acting was never his initial dream.
"I never wanted to be an actor as a kid. I wanted to be an athlete," he said.
His death marks the loss of a versatile performer who left a lasting impression on film and television and used his final years to promote awareness about a deadly disease.
