Earlier, we reported about actor James Van Der Beek passing away at the age of 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer. The actor's family disclosed the news about his passing through a statement on social media the other day. Most popular for his role in the TV show Dawson's Creek, Der Beek's life has now been highlighted as a lesson in how to process a cancer diagnosis.
The actor talked about the diagnosis in multiple avenues, including interviews, with the hope of inspiring others to undergo tests in time. Following the diagnosis in 2023, the actor revealed it to People in the year afterwards. Admitting that learning about his diagnosis caused some shock to him initially, the actor said that while he felt like breaking himself down and falling apart, the more logical aspect of his personality kept the optimism alive. "You just don't have the information yet," the actor told himself after the diagnosis.
The morning after the diagnosis, it dawned on James Van Der Beek that he would have to go through an unanticipated process, setting off "the full-time job of having cancer". The actor also said that he would think about how the health situation would only contribute to him making lifestyle changes, which he felt he would be grateful for in the years to come. "I'm going to look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, 'thank God that happened,'" he said, even though he admitted to feeling terrified and sad about the situation on occasion.
The actor's inspiring journey with cancer has been widely documented after his untimely demise. It gives context to the final stages of his life with cancer, something which his family said he dealt with courageously, gracefully and faithfully while they announced the news about his passing.
