Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek dies at 48 after cancer battle
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James Van Der Beek announced in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- James Van Der Beek, Dawson's Creek star, died aged 48 on Feb 11 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
- His wife announced his passing, prompting tributes from actors and fans. A GoFundMe campaign for his six children raised over US$200,000.
- Van Der Beek was known for his breakout role as Dawson Leery and had over 60 other film and TV credits.
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LOS ANGELES – James Van Der Beek, the American star of 1990s teen drama Dawson’s Creek (1998 to 2003), died on Feb 11 at the age of 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer, his wife announced on social media.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” Ms Kimberly Brook wrote on Instagram on Feb 11.
Fans and fellow actors shared tributes on social media, recalling the influence he had on their lives and careers.
“While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family, but the world,” American actress Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote on social media.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to raise US$500,000 (S$630,000) to help support Van Der Beek’s widow and six children aged four to 15. It raised more than US$200,000 less than an hour after kicking off.
In 2024, Van Der Beek announced his diagnosis after it was discovered during a routine colonoscopy the year before.
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialling in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” he wrote on social media that year.
Van Der Beek continued to chronicle his fight with cancer on social media until his death.
A Connecticut native, he got his breakout role in the 1990s as Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, alongside Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes. The show centred on the love triangle between Leery, a wannabe film-maker and hopeless romantic, and two of his best friends Joey Potter (Holmes) and Pacey Witter (Jackson).
“These characters speak very honestly about everything that 15-year-olds are waking up (to) and dealing with every day – relationships, the opposite sex, parents, school, dreams, aspirations,” Van Der Beek said on American talk show Live With Regis And Kathie Lee in 1998, when Dawson’s Creek premiered.
He continued in the role, which made him a teen heart-throb of the early 2000s, until the show concluded in 2003.
Outside Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek had credits in more than 60 movies and television shows. His notable film roles include quarterback Mox in Varsity Blues (1999) and drug dealer Sean Bateman in The Rules Of Attraction (2002). REUTERS
