The family of James Van Der Beek confirmed the death of the actor of Dawson’s Creek at 48 years old.
Van Der Beek had been diagnosed colorectal cancer in 2023 and made his diagnosis public in 2024.
«Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He faced his final days with courage, faith and grace. We have much to share about his wishes, his love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for privacy and peace as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend,» his family wrote in a statement on Instagram.
James Van Der Beek was an American actor who rose to worldwide fame for playing Dawson Leerythe protagonist of Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003), a key series of the teenage boom of the late 90s. His character, an aspiring filmmaker, made him a generational face and pop icon.
«There are so many things about Dawson that bother me. I loved his vulnerability, but I found the rest a little annoying,» he said in 2019 during a reunion talk for the 20th anniversary of the series’ premiere.
After that success, he sought to detach himself from the role teen alternating film and television. He participated in films like Varsity Blues y Rules of Attractionand added appearances in comedies and dramas. In the 2010s he gained a second wave of popularity by self-parodying his own image in series such as Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23where he plays with his fame and the stereotype of the television heartthrob.
He also worked on procedurals and thrillers, such as CSI: Cyberand maintained a constant career as a guest actor in different productions.
Lately he had been a frequent face in pop culture and memes (especially for his television “crying”), which reinforced his presence beyond his roles.
He had also expanded his profile with reality shows and competitions: he participated in Dancing with the Stars and in The Masked Singerwhere he showed a more playful side.
His last guest appearance came in two episodes of “Overcompensating”.
He always spoke publicly about his family life and moving away from the big centers of Hollywood, and also shared experiences linked to health and well-being.
Regarding his love life, Van Der Beek divorced the actress Heather McComb in 2010 and when he died he was married to Kimberly Brookwith whom he had six children.
