by Abb Jones
The Reelness

James Van Der Beek, the handsome young actor who gained famed from his portrait of the titular character in the TV series Dawson’s Creek, has died of colorectal cancer, just two and a half years after being diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Born March 8, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, one of Van Der Beek’s first acting credits was in 1995 on the daytime drama As the World Turns. Van Der Beek, whose last name ironically means “from the creek” in Dutch, left Drew University in 1977 after landing his most famed role in Dawson’s Creek. In addition to the popular series’ six season run, Van Der Beek’s acting credits include TV’s Pose, How I Met Your Mother and 2025’s Overcompensating, and such films as 1998’s Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers and 2020’s Bad Hair. His final acting credit is in the upcoming teen sitcom Elle, a prequel to the popular Legally Blonde films.

Van Der Beek is survived by his second wife Kimberly Brook and their six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.