James Van Der Beek Dies at 48 After Battle with Colorectal Cancer

Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, his family confirmed Wednesday morning.

A representative for the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed his death was reported at 6:44 a.m. In a statement shared on his official Instagram page, his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek said he “passed peacefully this morning,” adding that he met his final days “with courage, faith, and grace.” No official cause of death was released.

The father of six revealed in November 2024 that he had been privately managing his diagnosis since August 2023. Despite his illness, Van Der Beek made a surprise video appearance at a Dawson’s Creek reunion charity event in New York City last September. Projected onto the stage during a live reading of the pilot episode to benefit F Cancer, he thanked supporters directly. Lin-Manuel Miranda stood in for him during the performance.

Born March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, James David Van Der Beek initially dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player like his father. Acting became his path after a concussion sidelined him from football during junior high school. By 15, he had secured representation in New York and began landing stage and television roles.

His breakout came in 1998 when he was cast as Dawson Leery, the aspiring filmmaker at the heart of Dawson’s Creek. The series ran six seasons and became a defining cultural touchstone for late-1990s television. Van Der Beek later reflected that the show’s emotional honesty resonated because it captured what teenagers were genuinely experiencing: relationships, identity, ambition, and uncertainty.

The sudden intensity of fame proved overwhelming. In later interviews, Van Der Beek described how quickly life changed, going from signing his first autograph to being rushed by crowds within weeks. The association with Dawson Leery followed him throughout his career, something he acknowledged with candor and perspective.

Beyond teen drama, Van Der Beek expanded his résumé with roles in Varsity Blues, The Rules of Attraction, and later projects that showed his self-awareness, including appearances parodying his own image in Jay & Silent Bob films and Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. He also appeared in CSI: Cyber, Pose, One Tree Hill, and competed on Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.

In December 2024, even while privately managing his illness, he joined Anthony Anderson in the Fox special The Real Full Monty to promote cancer screening awareness. The advocacy reflected a quieter chapter of his public life, one focused on family and perspective.

Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, whom he married in 2010, and their six children. He is also survived by his father, siblings, and extended family.

For many, James Van Der Beek will forever be linked to the era of appointment television that shaped a generation. Yet his willingness to evolve beyond that moment, to embrace humor, self-reflection, and advocacy, ensured his legacy extended well past Capeside.