Beloved actor James Van Der Beek has died aged 48, with his family announcing he “passed peacefully” on Wednesday morning.
In a statement shared to social media, the family said Van Der Beek faced his final days “with courage, faith, and grace”, asking for privacy as they mourn “our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend”.
“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time,” the statement read. “Those days will come.”
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer, a battle he publicly revealed in 2024 as he became an advocate for cancer screening. Speaking to followers last year, he described the diagnosis as part of “the hardest year of my life”, reflecting candidly on how illness reshaped his sense of identity.
“When I was younger I used to define myself as an actor,” he said. “Then I became a husband, that was much better, and then I became a father, and that was the ultimate.”
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.
Born in Connecticut in 1977, Van Der Beek’s acting journey began unexpectedly after a football concussion led him to the lead role in his school’s production of Grease. Years of auditions and persistence followed before his life changed overnight in 1998, when he was cast as Dawson Leary in the teen drama Dawson’s Creek.
Looking back on the show’s 25th anniversary, Van Der Beek wrote that fame arrived “not gradually… instantly”, the result of years of rejection, travel and determination. “There was life before becoming famous and life after,” he reflected, thanking those who shared the ride with him.
Beyond the series, Van Der Beek embraced the internet-era afterlife of Dawson’s Creek, including a viral meme of his character’s tearful heartbreak. Far from resenting it, he said he loved that six years of work could be distilled into a few unforgettable seconds, calling it “a perfect way-of-the-internet”.
Earlier this year, he ended an Instagram post with words that now read like a farewell: “Thank you to everyone I’ve encountered as a result of this strange, wild, rocket ship ride.”
For fans and colleagues alike, James Van Der Beek will be remembered not only for an iconic role, but for the warmth, humour and humanity he carried well beyond the screen.
Images: Instagram
