James Van Der Beek — best known for playing Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek — has died at the age of 48.
The actor had been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer, a diagnosis he revealed publicly in 2024. His family confirmed his passing earlier today, saying he “met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”
The statement reads:
“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. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
Van Der Beek became a household name in the late ’90s when Dawson’s Creek turned into one of the defining teen dramas of its era. For many fans, he was Dawson — the emotional aspiring filmmaker whose monologues became instantly iconic. But he made it clear early on that he wasn’t just a teen heartthrob.
In 1999, he starred in Varsity Blues, delivering one of the most memorable performances of the late ’90s sports drama boom. A few years later, he took a sharp left turn with The Rules of Attraction, playing a darker, far more unhinged role that showed a completely different side of his range.
That willingness to shift tones — from earnest drama to satire to outright chaos — defined much of his post-Dawson’s Creek career. He later leaned into self-aware comedy, memorably parodying himself in Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23, and became something of a pop-culture figure who understood the internet better than most actors from his era.
In recent years, Van Der Beek had been open about his cancer battle, using his platform to speak about screening, faith, and perspective. His honesty resonated deeply with longtime fans. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.