James Van Der Beek, the actor who starred in the teen drama series “Dawson's Creek” and the sports drama “Varsity Blues,” has died. He was 48 years old.
Known for courting audiences as aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leery on the WB series, Van Der Beek died peacefully Wednesday morning. His family confirmed his death, writing in a statement on the actor's Instagram account. The actor battled colorectal cancer, a condition he revealed in November 2024.
“He faced his final days with courage, faith and grace. There is much to share about his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time,” the statement said. “Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Van Der Beek, since his days as a heartthrob in the 1990s, has racked up more than 70 film and television credits, including a meta-version of himself (a smarmy nicknamed “The Beek From the Creek”) on ABC's “Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23” and a smart but rebellious high school quarterback in the 1999 coming-of-age film “Varsity Blues.”
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