James Van Der Beek, the late ’90s icon known for starring as Dawson Leery on The WB’s “Dawson’s Creek,” has died. He was 48.
The much-admired actor’s wife Kimberly shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday.
“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.”
Van Der Beek had publicly been battling colorectal cancer since November 2024 following his initial diagnosis in August 2023. The most recent time Van Der Beek discussed his illness was back in December 2025 when the actor told “Today’s” Craig Melvin he had to miss a “Dawson’s Creek” reunion on Broadway because he had a stomach bug.
“No, it was not cancer-related,” the actor explained at the time. “Although, with cancer, everything’s like, ‘Why don’t we supersize that stomach virus.’”
Earlier in the conversation, Van Der Beek opened up about having Stage 3 colorectal cancer. He said when he learned he had cancer, he felt it was the “best thing” that could ever happen to him: “I had this little voice in my head that said, ‘You’re going to make changes in your life that you would never ever if you didn’t have this extreme of a diagnosis. And it’s going to add healthy, happy years to your life.’”
Some of the changes he mentioned included slowing down during his daily activities and being more conscious about what he eats. “Really, I say the biggest change would be this journey of self-love,” Van Der Beek added. “What I realized was, is, I’m still worthy of love … My own love, God’s love.”
Born on March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek grew up on the stage, making his professional debut at age 16 in the New York premiere of Edward Albee’s play “Finding the Sun” with the Signature Theatre Company. He went on to land his first feature film in 1995 with the movie “Angus.” After a short stint at Drew University, he left his program to work on “Dawson’s Creek” once production started.
In addition to “Dawson’s Creek,” the star was well-known for roles in “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” “Varsity Blues,” “Texas Rangers,” “The Rules of Attraction,” “Sidelined,” “What Would Diplo Do?” and, most recently, “Overcompensating.” He is also set to appear in “Legally Blonde” prequel series, “Elle.”
He is survived by his wife and six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
