James Van Der Beek passed away at the age of 48. He was a popular actor who played the title role in Dawson's Creek and later made fun of his own attractive appearance. He was a star of coming-of-age plays at the start of the new millennium. The actor's official Instagram page confirmed in a statement Wednesday that Van Der Beek passed away earlier in the day.
James Van Der Beek was a familiar name in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He starred in movies like Varsity Blues in addition to Dawson's Creek, and he went on to have a diverse career in entertainment.
James Van Der Beek, a father of six, first became aware of health issues when he began to have bowel movement problems, which led to tests. He had stage three colon cancer, which had spread to his lymph nodes.
What Happened To James Van Der Beek?
James Van Der Beek was never afraid to discuss his own mortality. On his 48th birthday, the actor shared a video and said, "This year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose to nose with death."
The Dawson's actor had previously identified himself by his roles as an actor, husband, and parent, but cancer took that all away. "I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband that was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. If I am just a too-skinny, weak guy alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I?"
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James Van Der Beek decided to search for something positive rather than allowing the diagnosis to define him. He told himself, "This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. You’re going to make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn’t have this extreme of a diagnosis. What I realized was, I am still worthy of love."
James Van Der Beek saw all the small, precious moments as mere objects to be collected before his cancer diagnosis. He was able to truly live in the now, to become comfortable with it and let it be enough.
Van Der Beek is survived by his wife Kimberly, whom he married in 2010, and their six small children—sons Joshua and Jeremiah, and daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, and Gwendolyn.