James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson's Creek, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 48 after battling colorectal cancer. The news was confirmed by his wife, Kimberly, through an emotional message on social media stating that the actor died "peacefully" and faced his last days with "courage, faith, and serenity." His death marks the end of a tough journey that he had chosen to share publicly months ago.
One of his last public appearances took place on September 22 during the highly anticipated reunion of the cast of the iconic series at the Richard Rogers Theater in New York. The event, organized for charitable purposes to support cancer research, was marked by the actor's delicate condition. He was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in the second half of 2023 but did not publicly disclose his illness until November 2024.
Despite initially announcing that he couldn't attend due to his health, Van Der Beek surprised attendees with an unexpected video appearance projected on the big screen. Visibly emotional and in poor health, the actor confessed that he had been waiting for that night for months and regretted not being able to be there with his colleagues. "I can't believe I'm not there, watching my castmates," he expressed to a captivated audience.
During his speech, the actor wanted to thank the affection received from the series' fans, who continued to show him messages of support on social media upon learning of his absence. His words reflected the connection he maintained with the fans and with the project that brought him fame in the late nineties.
That audiovisual intervention became one of the last times the public could see James Van Der Beek, whose legacy is now forever linked to television history and the memories of a generation.