James Van Der Beek, the actor who starred as Dawson Leery in the iconic teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek” in the late ’90s and early 2000s, has died. He was 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” an Instagram post from his account stated on Wednesday. “There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
Van Der Beek had announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” Van Der Beek told People.
Van Der Beek was a father of six and had been married to his wife, Kimberly, since 2010.
The actor rose to fame in 1998 when he starred as Dawson Leery, an aspiring filmmaker in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. The show also starred Katie Holmes as Joey Potter, Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter, and Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley.
The series became known for its addictive and soapy portrayal of teen life in a small town. Van Der Beek’s character, Dawson, dreamed of making it big in Hollywood like his favorite director, Steven Spielberg, and was known for his sensitive and earnest outlook on life as an awkward adolescent.
He’s gone viral multiple times for that one crying meme from a scene of the show. He told HuffPost that the moment wasn’t scripted and was just his natural reaction at the end of a season.
“I mean, I don’t remember shooting a lot of it, but I do remember that particular scene because it was at the end of one season and I wasn’t supposed to cry, it was just one of those things that happens when you’re playing a character for so long,” Van Der Beek told HuffPost in 2012.
Notably, HuffPost used the meme on its 404 not found error page, and Van Der Beek called it “amazing.”
“So I remember being completely surprised by it because it was completely sincere,” he continued. “The fact that it’s being used to mock me now, I think it’s so funny.”
The actor is slated to appear in the upcoming “Legally Blonde” prequel, “Elle,” on Prime Video.
“The greatest thing about work is cancer doesn’t exist between action and cut,” Van Der Beek told Today in July. “It was fun to drop in and just have a blast because it’s such a great cast, a great production, and everybody out there is really talented.”
The “Dawson’s Creek” cast reunited in September 2025 to perform the pilot episode of “Dawson’s Creek” for a fundraiser for F Cancer, an organization that promotes awareness and education about cancer. Lin-Manuel Miranda stood in for Van Der Beek, who was unable to attend.
Van Der Beek was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, on March 8, 1977. He participated in theater in middle school, and at 16, he made his professional debut off-Broadway in Edward Albee’s “Finding The Sun.” The next year, he made his feature film debut in the coming-of-age comedy “Angus.” He attended Drew University but left the school to star in “Dawson’s Creek.”
The actor appeared as a satirical version of his character Dawson, including on “Scary Movie” and “One Tree Hill,” and as fictionalized versions of himself on “Don’t Trust The B— In Apartment 23” and “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.”
He also starred in “Mercy,” “CSI: Cyber” and most recently “Overcompensating.” His film credits include “Varsity Blues,” “Bad Hair” and “The Rules of Attraction.”