James Van Der Beek, the actor who became a pop‑culture figure for his role as aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leery in the hit series “Dawson’s Creek,” passed away on Wednesday, February 11, at his residence. He was 48.
A message shared on Van Der Beek’s Instagram announced that James David Van Der Beek died peacefully that morning, meeting his final days with strength, faith, and dignity. The post added that the family is asking for quiet privacy as they grieve their beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
Van Der Beek learned he had Stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023 after a colonoscopy. He kept the diagnosis private for over a year, revealing it publicly in November 2024.
Born March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek discovered his passion for acting in middle school. At 16, he made his professional TV debut on “Clarissa Explains It All” in December 1993, and soon appeared in an off-Broadway staging of Edward Albee’s “Finding the Sun,” launching a career that would span more than 30 years in television, film, and voice acting.
His breakout moment arrived in 1998 when he auditioned for and secured the lead role in The WB’s new teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” He left Drew University in New Jersey to join the show, which ran for six seasons and 128 episodes. The series partnered him with co-stars Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson, all of whom went on to major stardom.
Van Der Beek once said he “got stupidly lucky” at age 20 when he became part of a “zeitgeist, cultural phenomenon” that brought him instant fame. He admitted his instinct then was to “run away from it,” though he now wishes he could tell his younger self to “relax, be grateful, enjoy it.”
During his time on “Dawson’s Creek,” Van Der Beek also starred in the 1999 sports drama “Varsity Blues” as backup quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon. The movie became his signature film role, earning him the best breakthrough male performance honor at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards.
His other film work included parts in “Scary Movie” (2000), “The Rules of Attraction” (2002), “Formosa Betrayed” (2009), and “Labor Day” (2013) with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. He also appeared in “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” in 2019.
After “Dawson’s Creek” ended in May 2003, Van Der Beek continued acting steadily. He took on a notable meta role as an exaggerated version of himself on ABC’s “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23” and starred on “CSI: Cyber.” He also voiced Boris Hauntley in Disney Junior’s animated series “Vampirina.”
In 2019, Van Der Beek joined Season 28 of “Dancing with the Stars,” performing with professional dancer Emma Slater. They reached the semifinals and placed fifth overall.
The “Dawson’s Creek” cast reunited on September 22, 2025, for a live reading of the pilot episode at New York’s Richard Rodgers Theatre, partly to support Van Der Beek during cancer treatment. He canceled his appearance last minute after contracting two stomach viruses, and Lin-Manuel Miranda filled in as Dawson. Van Der Beek shared a prerecorded message with fans: “You’re the best fans in the world.”
In December 2024, Van Der Beek spoke on “Good Morning America” about the difficulties of managing his cancer diagnosis. He explained that it quickly became a full-time responsibility—signing into multiple medical portals, dealing with insurance, and coordinating appointments—and said he hadn’t expected how all‑consuming it would become.
Despite everything, Van Der Beek said he tried to remain hopeful, believing he would someday appreciate the life changes he was forced to make. He estimated that he maintained this hopeful outlook about 90 percent of the time, while the remaining 10 percent he described himself as a “sobbing, terrified mess,” which he considered understandable.
In December 2025, Van Der Beek sold treasured memorabilia from “Dawson’s Creek,” “Varsity Blues,” and other projects through Propstore to help cover medical expenses, earning more than $47,000.
Van Der Beek leaves behind his wife Kimberly and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah. Shortly before he passed, he posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to his father and eldest daughter Olivia—who share a birthday—expressing deep gratitude for having them in his life.
