James Van Der Beek, the actor who became a household name as Dawson Leery on the hit teen drama Dawson's Creek, has died at the age of 48 after a courageous battle with colorectal cancer. His passing on February 11, 2026, was confirmed by his family, who shared in a statement posted to his social media, "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace." The family also asked for privacy as they mourned "our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."
Van Der Beek’s cancer diagnosis, which he revealed publicly in November 2024, came as a shock to many fans. According to BBC, he had been privately dealing with Stage 3 colorectal cancer since August 2023. The disease, which had spread to nearby lymph nodes by the time it was caught, began with subtle symptoms—changes in bowel movements—that prompted him to seek medical advice. He later shared with Business Insider that he initially tried to attribute the symptoms to coffee consumption before undergoing a screening that revealed the seriousness of his condition.
He spoke candidly about the emotional and physical toll of his illness. In a December 2024 appearance on Good Morning America, Van Der Beek described the overwhelming demands of treatment and the bureaucracy of medical care. "And thus began the full-time job of having cancer, signing up for all the various medical portals and getting on the phone with insurance and creating appointments ... I was not prepared for just how much of a full-time job that it really is," he said. He added that, despite his determination, "10 percent of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess, which I feel like is a pretty good percentage." His openness about the struggle resonated with many, as he explained, "All these beautiful things that I love, and I used to define myself as—a father, a provider, a husband—all that got taken away, or at least paused. I had to sit there and say, 'Well, what am I?' And it was, 'I'm still worthy of love.'"
Born on March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, Van Der Beek was the eldest of three children. His father, Jim, was a former minor league baseball pitcher, while his mother, Melinda, had a background in dance and ran a gymnastics school. Growing up, James never planned on acting—he dreamed of following in his father's athletic footsteps or becoming a physical therapist. But after a concussion sidelined his football ambitions in junior high, he found himself on stage, cast as Danny Zuko in a community theater production of Grease. Acting quickly became his passion, and by age 16, he had landed an agent and manager in New York City.
His professional debut came in a 1993 off-Broadway production of Edward Albee’s Finding the Sun, where The New York Times praised his performance as "refreshingly un-self-conscious." He made his television debut on an episode of Nickelodeon’s Clarissa Explains It All and, still in high school, appeared in the coming-of-age film Angus (1995). He attended Drew University in New Jersey as an English major but left when he was cast in the role that would change his life: Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek.
The show, created by Kevin Williamson and filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, premiered as a midseason replacement on January 20, 1998, and ran for six seasons through May 2003. Van Der Beek appeared in all 128 episodes, alongside co-stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams. The series became a cultural touchstone, especially among young viewers, with its frank discussions of teenage relationships and dreams. Reflecting on the show’s impact, Van Der Beek said during a 1998 appearance on Live With Regis and Kathie Lee, "These characters speak very honestly about everything that 15-year-olds are waking up and dealing with every day—relationships, the opposite sex, parents, school, dreams, aspirations."
Fame arrived suddenly and intensely. As he told Vulture in 2013, "I went from signing my first autograph in 1998 to, literally two weeks later, being rushed by an angry, screaming mob of teenage girls—girls getting crushed against barricades and [me] being shoved in the back of a cop car to escape the melee." That same year, he was named one of People magazine’s "50 Most Beautiful People in the World."
Not content to be typecast, Van Der Beek sought out roles that contrasted with Dawson’s sensitive persona. In 1999, he starred as Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in the football drama Varsity Blues, earning the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakout Male Performance. "We all got injured a little bit," he told KABC-TV about the film’s demanding shoot. "I mean, we all took hits. It was great. And I say that with a big smile on my face because, you know, we all felt like real players." He later played the hedonistic Sean Bateman in The Rules of Attraction (2002), and appeared in films such as Texas Rangers, Formosa Betrayed (2009), Labor Day (2013), and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019).
On television, Van Der Beek demonstrated remarkable range. He played a fictionalized version of himself in the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012-2013), recurred on One Tree Hill and How I Met Your Mother, starred in CSI: Cyber, and voiced Boris Hauntley on Disney Junior’s Vampirina. In 2019, he competed on the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars, reaching the semifinals, and in early 2026, he made a guest appearance on Prime Video’s college comedy Overcompensating.
Van Der Beek’s advocacy extended beyond entertainment. Following his own diagnosis, he became a vocal supporter of cancer screening, telling Business Insider, "I've learned a lot. If I can save anyone from having to go through this, that's magic." In December 2024, he appeared in Fox’s The Real Full Monty to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing.
The bonds formed on Dawson’s Creek endured long after the series ended. In September 2025, the cast reunited for a live table reading of the show's pilot at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York, raising funds for the nonprofit F Cancer. Van Der Beek, unable to attend due to illness, sent a video message that played to cheers in the theater. His wife, Kimberly, and their six children were present, joining the audience in singing the show’s theme song, Paula Cole’s "I Don’t Want to Wait."
Van Der Beek is survived by his wife Kimberly, whom he married in 2010, and their six children: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah. The family has established a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses and ensure stability for the children as they face the future without their beloved husband and father.
James Van Der Beek’s legacy is one of honesty, vulnerability, and connection—both on screen and off. Through his work and his advocacy, he touched millions, leaving an indelible mark on television, film, and the hearts of fans around the world.