James Van Der Beek appears at 'Dawson's Creek' reunion despite pulling out

James Van Der Beek may have missed the Dawson’s Creek reunion in person, but he still managed to make a special appearance.

The actor, 48, revealed he’d been sidelined by “two stomach viruses” and couldn’t attend Monday’s event at New York City’s Richard Rodgers Theatre.

But fans were treated to a surprise pre-recorded video from the show’s beloved leading man.

“I can’t believe I’m not there,” Van Der Beek told the audience. “I can’t believe I don’t get to see my … beautiful cast in person.” He shared how much the night meant to him, saying he’d been “looking forward to [it] for months and months.”

Wearing a brown jacket, white T-shirt, and plaid hat, Van Der Beek thanked “the cast [and] the crew [and] everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous. He praised the “best fans in the world” for supporting the live reading, which benefited the F Cancer organisation and his own colorectal cancer treatment.

Before signing off, Van Der Beek introduced his stand-in, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

His wife Kimberly and their six children joined co-stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams onstage, with two of his daughters even helping sing the iconic theme song.

Van Der Beek was diagnosed with cancer in August 2023, speaking about his battle publicly for the first time over a year later.

He also reflected on the lessons he’s learned from “the hardest year of [his] life” while marking his 48th birthday In March this year.