Actor who revealed bowel cancer diagnosis in 2024 dies aged 48.
James Van Der Beek, the actor who rose to global fame as Dawson Leery in the 1990s teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died at the age of 48.
A statement shared on his official Instagram account confirmed the news on Wednesday. “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” it read. The message described him as a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend, and asked for privacy as his family grieves.
In November 2024, Van Der Beek revealed that he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. He disclosed the illness ahead of appearing on the US charity television special The Real Full Monty, which raised awareness of cancer. The following year, in November 2025, he announced plans to auction memorabilia and treasured items from his television and film career to help fund his treatment.
Born in Connecticut in 1977, Van Der Beek initially showed more interest in sport than acting. A childhood football accident, however, left him with a severe concussion. Doctors advised him to avoid sports for a year. During that time, he turned to performance and soon landed the lead role of Danny Zuko in a school production of Grease.
His breakthrough came in 1998 when he was cast as Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek. The series followed the lives of teenagers growing up in a small coastal town and became a defining show of its era. Van Der Beek starred alongside Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson. Later that year, he was named one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People in the World.
Reflecting on the show’s impact during its 25th anniversary, he wrote that his life had changed “instantly” when it premiered, after years of auditions and rejection. Yet the rapid fame brought its own pressures. He later admitted that public attention could quickly escalate into chaos, saying that even a single autograph could turn into a mob scene.
Although Dawson’s Creek cemented his place in popular culture, Van Der Beek built a varied career beyond the teen drama. He appeared in films including the American football drama Varsity Blues, alongside Paul Walker, and The Rules of Attraction, based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel. In the latter, he played Sean Bateman, a drug dealer entangled in a turbulent love triangle.
He also embraced self-parody and comedy. In Scary Movie, he made a brief appearance referencing his television fame, and later portrayed a heightened version of himself in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, earning a Teen Choice award nomination in 2012. He contributed to comedy sketches for Funny or Die, including one that playfully referenced the viral “ugly cry face” meme associated with him.
Following the announcement of his death, tributes poured in from colleagues and fellow actors. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Garner and Paul Walter Hauser were among those who shared messages of sympathy and support for his family. Roger Avary, who directed him in The Rules of Attraction, described him as a pillar of strength and said he had rarely felt such a close working connection with another actor.
Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
Shortly after his death was announced, Kimberly shared a link to a fundraising page created to support the family with expenses following his extended medical treatment. The fundraiser aims to raise $500,000, stating that medical costs had left the family struggling financially and seeking stability during an intensely difficult time.