James Van Der Beek, 'Dawson's Creek' star, dies at 48

James Van Der Beek, best known for playing Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek, has reportedly passed away. He was 48.

His producer wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, made the announcement on social media, confirming reports of the actor's death.

"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," she writes on Instagram, adding, "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."

Beek's cause of death has so far not been released, but he was battling colorectal cancer for years. He first kept his Stage 3 cancer under wraps when it was diagnosed in August 2023.

However, over a year later, the Varsity Blues star announced his condition publicly. He also offered a glimpse into his cancer journey during an appearance on Today in 2024.

When diagnosed with cancer, Beek admitted he was shocked.

“I was so healthy, was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was doing the cold plunges, and the saunas, and the intermittent fasting and all of it."

The star at the time revealed his symptoms were such that it did not alarm him to "Oh, I’ve got to run to a doctor right now." Nevertheless, he made an appointment for a colonoscopy. “I had Stage 3 cancer and had no idea.”

Beek recalled, “I went into shock. I really don't think I knew what to do. Neither did my wife. And we drove home in silence."

"And part of me wanted to panic. Part of me wanted to just freak out. But then another part of my brain was like, ‘You don't know enough yet.’”

A look into Beek's career

He made his debut in Edward Albee's play Finding the Sun in 1993. In the same year, his first television appearance was as a drummer on Clarissa Explains It All, a Nickelodeon series.

Meanwhile, the actor made his film debut in Angus, where he played a high school bully named Rick Sanford.

Beek has been married twice, and he has six kids with his second wife, Kimberly.