Hollywood is mourning the passing of actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his role in the show Dawson's Creek. The actor passed away on Wednesday at the age of 48. He had a bowel cancer diagnosis. The actor's family announced the news through an official statement through social media. It read, "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace."
While Der Beek got the cancer diagnosis in 2023, he only disclosed it to the world a year later. The actor told Business Insider that he began to experience bowel movement changes, one of the common bowel cancer symptoms. The actor abstained from coffee consumption to find out whether it would help and then had a screen test. The test showed that he had stage three bowel cancer, meaning it had already spread to the lymph nodes adjacent to the bowel.
James Van Der Beek is among the most popular faces on television in not just the 1990s but also the 2000s. He played Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek, opposite Katie Holmes. The show ran for six seasons from January 1998 to May 2003. The actor made a virtual appearance as the Dawson's Creek cast, including Michelle Williams, Holmes, Busy Philipps and Joshua Jackson, reunited for a September 2025 fundraiser after he had to withdraw from the in-person event, because of his stomach virus issue.
Der Beek is also known for his role in the sports comedy-drama Varsity Blues and the television series What Would Diplo Do? The actor kept his career going despite the diagnosis. Even recently, he made a guest appearance in Prime Video's Overcompensating.
He also portrayed a fictional Der Beek in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, which has become a cult TV show over the years, and performed on Dancing with the Stars' 28th season.
