James Van Der Beek Dies at 48 After Battle With Colorectal Cancer

US actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his role in the hit television series Dawson’s Creek, has died at the age of 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer.

The actor passed away on Wednesday, according to a statement shared on his official Instagram page. “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” the statement read.

Van Der Beek publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in 2024. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.

The late actor rose to prominence in 1998 when he starred as Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, a teen drama that ran until 2003 and became a defining series of its era. The show, set in a small Massachusetts town, followed the lives and relationships of a close-knit group of friends and cemented Van Der Beek’s place in American pop culture.

Beyond television, he featured in films such as Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction.

However, he largely remained associated with his breakthrough television role. In a 2011 interview, Van Der Beek said he embraced his early success, noting he wore his past “with pride.”

In the announcement, the family requested privacy as they mourn the loss of their “loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

Van Der Beek’s death marks the end of a career that shaped late-1990s television and resonated with a generation of viewers.