James Van Der Beek, the actor who became a cultural touchstone for his role as aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leery in the hit TV series “Dawson’s Creek,” passed away on Wednesday, February 11, at his residence. He was 48.
A message posted to Van Der Beek’s Instagram announced that James David Van Der Beek died peacefully that morning, meeting his final days with courage, faith, and dignity. The post also said the family is asking for 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 chose to keep the diagnosis private for more than a year before publicly disclosing it in November 2024.
Born on March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek became interested in acting during middle school. He made his professional TV debut at 16 in a 1993 episode of “Clarissa Explains It All” and soon appeared in an off-Broadway staging of Edward Albee’s “Finding the Sun,” kicking off a career spanning more than 30 years in television, film, and voice work.
His major break came in 1998 when he auditioned for and secured the lead role in The WB’s teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” He left Drew University in New Jersey to join the series, which aired for six seasons and 128 episodes. He co-starred with Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson, all of whom rose to stardom.
Van Der Beek once said he “got stupidly lucky” at age 20 when he landed a role in a “zeitgeist, cultural phenomenon” that launched him into sudden fame. He admitted his instinct back 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,” playing second‑string quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon. The role became his most iconic film performance and earned him the MTV Movie Award for best breakout male performance in 1999.
His film work included appearances in “Scary Movie” (2000), “The Rules of Attraction” (2002), “Formosa Betrayed” (2009), and “Labor Day” (2013) with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. He also had a role in “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” in 2019.
After “Dawson’s Creek” ended in May 2003, Van Der Beek continued acting regularly on television. He portrayed a humorous, fictionalized version of himself on the ABC comedy “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23” and starred in “CSI: Cyber.” He also voiced Boris Hauntley in the Disney Junior series “Vampirina.”
In 2019, Van Der Beek competed in Season 28 of “Dancing with the Stars” with professional partner Emma Slater. They reached the semifinals and ultimately placed fifth.
The cast of “Dawson’s Creek” 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 his cancer fight. He withdrew at the last moment due to contracting two stomach viruses, so Lin-Manuel Miranda filled in as Dawson. Van Der Beek shared a prerecorded message with fans, telling them, “You’re the best fans in the world.”
In December 2024, Van Der Beek discussed the difficulties of living with cancer during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” He said it felt like the start of a full‑time job—navigating medical portals, handling insurance calls, and coordinating appointments—and noted he hadn’t realized how overwhelming it could be.
He said he tried to remain mostly hopeful, believing the experience would push him toward life changes he would someday appreciate. About 90 percent of the time he kept this outlook, while the other 10 percent he described himself as a “sobbing, terrified mess,” which he felt was understandable.
In December 2025, Van Der Beek sold treasured items from “Dawson’s Creek,” “Varsity Blues,” and other projects through Propstore to help cover his cancer treatment costs, bringing in over $47,000.
Van Der Beek leaves behind his wife Kimberly and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah. Shortly before his passing, he shared a warm birthday tribute to both his father and his eldest daughter Olivia, who share the same birthday, expressing deep appreciation for them.