James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in teen dramas at the beginning of the new millennium and rose to fame by portraying the titular character in "'Dawson's Creek", has passed away. He was 48 years old.
A statement released on the actor's official Instagram page, through his wife, stated that Van Der Beek passed away early on Wednesday. "He faced his last days with courage, faith, and serenity", the statement noted.
In 2024, Van Der Beek revealed that he was undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer.
In September, he made a surprise video appearance for a charity event reunion of 'Dawson's Creek" in New York City, after previously stepping back due to health issues.
He appeared on stage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during a live reading of the series' pilot episode, benefiting F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Lin-Manuel Miranda replaced him on stage. Van Der Beek expressed: "Thank you to everyone here."
The young man who started in theater would go on to star in the movie "Varsity Blues" and on television as FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo in the series "CSI: Cyber", but he would forever be linked to 'Dawson's Creek", which aired from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.
The series followed a group of high school friends as they learned about falling in love, forged real friendships, and found their place in life. Van Der Beek, then 20, portrayed 15-year-old Dawson Leery, who aspired to be a director on par with Steven Spielberg.
'Dawson's Creek", with the melancholic opening song "I Don't Want To Wait" by Paula Cole, helped define The WB as a haven for teenagers and young adults who identified with its hyper-articulate dialogues and frank discussions about sexuality. It also introduced other names into households, such as Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes, and Michelle Williams.
The series caused a stir when one of the teenagers engaged in a risqué relationship with a teacher 20 years older than him and when Holmes' character climbed through Dawson's bedroom window and they cuddled together. Bolder series like "Euphoria" and "Sex Education" owe much to 'Dawson's Creek".
At times, Van Der Beek struggled to shake off the shadow of the series, but eventually leaned into parodying himself, as seen in Funny Or Die videos and in the music video for Kesha's "Blow," which featured his laser gun battle against the pop star in a nightclub and dead unicorns.
"It's hard to compete with something that was the cultural phenomenon that 'Dawson's Creek' was," the actor commented to Vulture in 2013. "It aired for a long time. It's a lot of hours playing a character in front of people. So it's natural for you to be associated with that."