AUSTIN, Texas — James Van Der Beek, the actor whose sensitive portrayal of an aspiring filmmaker on Dawson’s Creek defined a generation of television and launched the “teen drama” gold rush of the late 1990s, has died. He was 48.
His wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, confirmed the news in a heartbreaking social media post on Wednesday morning. The actor had been waging a private and later public battle with Stage 3 colorectal cancer since August 2023.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” the family’s statement read. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
The Face of a Generation
Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek became an overnight sensation in 1998 when he was cast as Dawson Leery. With his signature flannel shirts and oversized vocabulary, Dawson was the heart of a show that treated teenage emotions with a revolutionary level of intellectual gravity.
Alongside co-stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams, Van Der Beek anchored a cultural phenomenon that ran for six seasons and transformed the fledgling WB Network into a powerhouse. Even decades after the show ended, Van Der Beek remained a staple of internet culture—largely due to the “Crying Dawson” meme, a legacy he famously embraced with good-natured wit.
Beyond the Creek, Van Der Beek proved his range in the 1999 cult classic Varsity Blues, playing the rebellious backup quarterback Mox, and later delivered a darkly comedic performance as a fictionalized version of himself in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.
A ‘Valiant’ Battle
Van Der Beek’s diagnosis came as a shock to fans when he went public with the news in November 2024. Despite the severity of the illness, which had spread to his lymph nodes, he spent his final year channeling his fame into advocacy.
In a final, poignant act of generosity last November, the actor auctioned off some of his most cherished memorabilia—including the prom necklace Dawson gave Joey and his Varsity Blues jersey—to help fund his astronomical medical bills and support colorectal cancer research.
“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee,” he told People magazine last year, recalling the subtle changes in his health that led to the discovery of the tumor. “I was in amazing cardiovascular shape… it just goes to show this can happen to anyone.”
The Final Reunion
In a moment that fans will now cherish as his final curtain call, Van Der Beek made a surprise virtual appearance at a Dawson’s Creek charity reunion in New York City this past September. Though too ill to attend in person, his image was projected onto the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where he thanked fans for “every single moment” of a career that spanned nearly 30 years.
The Van Der Beek Legacy:
- Family First: He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.
- Advocacy: His public journey has been credited with a surge in “early screening” awareness for colorectal cancer among men under 50.
- Final Performance: He will appear posthumously in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, which he filmed during a period of temporary remission in early 2025.
As news of his passing spread, tributes from Hollywood poured in. Former co-star Joshua Jackson shared a simple photo of a creek at sunset, while Katie Holmes praised his “unwavering kindness.”
In the world of Capeside, the show famously ended with the line, “I’ll see you in my dreams.” For a generation of viewers who grew up alongside him, James Van Der Beek will remain forever young, forever idealistic, and forever the boy by the creek.