“Those days will come.”
The actor revealed he had stage 3 colorectal cancer in November 2024, though he had received the diagnosis in late 2023, according to the BBC.
“I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialling in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” Van der Beek said in a social media post last November.
“Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.”
The actor became one of entertainment’s most recognisable faces in the late 1990s through the early 2000s for his memorable appearances in television and film.
He portrayed Dawson Leery on the hit teen drama show Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003.
“The little pilot we shot in that small town for that fledgling network aired, changed our lives and launched our careers,” he wrote in a social media post commemorating the series’ 20th anniversary in 2018.
He also had a star turn as Jonathon “Mox” Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age film Varsity Blues.
He featured in the main cast of CSI: Cyber from 2015 to 2016 playing Elijah Mundo, and voiced the character of Boris Hauntley in the animated series Vampirina from 2017 to 2021.
The BBC reported the actor continued to take acting jobs through his illness, featuring in two episodes of the Prime Video college comedy series Overcompensating and participating in the talent show The Masked Singer last year.
Marking what would be his final interview in December, the actor told Today he was feeling “much, much better than I did a couple of months ago”.
“It’s been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be. It’s required more of me – more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong. I didn’t know I was this strong. But I feel good,” he said.
He said his cancer diagnosis came as a complete surprise.
“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.”
“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’.”
He is survived by his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and their six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah Van Der Beek.
In a comment shared on the post announcing his death, Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote: “I’m so sad for your beautiful family. While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F**k Cancer.”
Dawson’s Creek co-star Chad Michael Murray paid tribute to the late actor, sending “love and light to your beautiful family”.
“James was a giant. We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us – he inspired us to be better in all ways,” he said.
Van Der Beek made a surprise appearance at a New York City charity event last September which saw Dawson’s Creek alumni Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Busy Philipps reunite, the Chicago Sun Times reported.
The event was dedicated to Van Der Beek who joined the event virtually, unable to attend in person due to stomach viruses, according to the BBC.
In a pre-recorded message shown at the event the actor said: “I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight.
“From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world,” he said.
Shortly after breaking the news of her husband’s death Kimberly Van Der Beek shared a link on her Instagram to a GoFundMe fundraising page aimed at supporting Van Der Beek’s family.
The page said she and their six children were facing an “uncertain future”.
“Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care.
”The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time.”
In the hour after his death was announced the page has received more than US$68,000 ($112,000).
Dancing with the Stars champion Emma Slater, who was paired with Van Der Beek in 2019 when he competed in season 28 of the show, shared an emotional tribute to her dance partner on Instagram.
Slater posted: “I’m so devastated. He is and will always be family to me love you so much, James. The man that you are, you can be proud of. So grateful that I got to be there to say goodbye to you.”
