James Van Der Beek lost his battle with cancer but left behind a lasting Hollywood legacy of movies and TV shows.
Van Der Beek was most known for playing the late ’90s icon Dawson Leery in “Dawson’s Creek,” but the actor has a fun body of work to dive into elsewhere, as well. The actor’s death was announced by his wife on Wednesday via his personal Instagram. He was 48 and died after a battle with colorectal cancer.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come,” she wrote. “For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
To celebrate the star’s life, here are some of his best movie and TV performances for you to binge through.
Dawson’s Creek
The show Van Der Beek was best known for, “Dawson’s Creek,” became a ’90s sensation among teens. The series following Dawson (Van Der Beek) navigating young adulthood with his friends would grow into the template that all future teen dramas would follow. There is no “The O.C.” without “Dawson’s Creek,” and although co-stars Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes are great in the series, Van Der Beek is often working on another level.
Where to Stream: Netflix, Hulu, Tubi
Varsity Blues
“Varsity Blues” remains a classic inspirational sports movie. Van Der Beek stars as Jonathan “Mox” Moxon, who is tasked with stepping in as the new quarterback for a West Texas high school when their star QB is injured. Anyone with a love of “Friday Night Lights” or “Remember the Titans” who missed out on “Varsity Blues” is doing themselves a disservice.
Where to Stream: Paramount+, Pluto
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
When an actor is cool with poking fun at themselves, it’s usually a good sign that they’re a good person. Van Der Beek played a heightened – and often pretty awful – version of himself in this ABC comedy series that deserved at least three more seasons than it got.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Castle in the Sky
Studio Ghibli has put out a number of all-time bangers, but “Castle in the Sky” is usually not one talked about when the greats come up. There’s a case to be made that it should, because it’s one of the more slept-on movies from the famed animation studio. Van Der Beek voices Pazu, an orphan who joins a young girl in search of a mythical floating city.
Where to Stream: HBO Max
The Rules of Attraction
Van Der Beek stars as Sean Bateman in “The Rules of Attraction.” The film follows his character and two others who are entangled in a love triangle at a fancy college. Van Der Beek’s character was adapted as the younger brother of Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho.”
Where to Stream: Prime Video, Pluto, Tubi
CSI: Cyber
Van Der Beek played Elijah Mundo for two seasons of this “CSI” spinoff where he starred opposite Patricia Arquette. This iteration followed a division of the FBI tasked with tracking down and stopping cyber crimes.
Where to Stream: Available to purchas on Prime Video
