On Feb. 11, American actor James Van Der Beek died at age 48. In 2024, Van Der Beek shared his battle with Stage 3 colorectal cancer and the treatment he underwent on social media.
“Millennials are saying goodbye to one of their first heartthrobs, an actor who, while slated to be a handsome leading man, found something lasting in the ironic and silly,” Elizabeth Donnelly of BAZAAR said.
Van Der Beek, a father of six, made his professional acting debut in 1993 in the off-Broadway production of “Finding the Sun” as Fergus. The play features dramatic themes of death and destruction.
Still, his 1998 breakout role as Dawson Leery in “Dawson’s Creek” led him to become one of the late '90s' biggest Hollywood names.
The American teen drama show featured a group of friends living in the fictional town of Capeside, Mass. “Dawson’s Creek” explored coming-of-age themes of love, addiction and more.
He began his role as Leery at age 21, portraying the 15-year-old, film-obsessed protagonist of the show. For six seasons, Van Der Beek starred alongside Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson.
During its five-year run, “Dawson’s Creek” produced 128 episodes, following the characters from high school to college.
The drama received various award nominations over its production cycle, including a Teen Choice and a Television Critics Association.
While filming, Van Der Beek also portrayed Jonathon Moxon in the 1999 football drama “Varsity Blues.”
Set in the fictional West Canaan, Texas, quarterback Lance Harbor, portrayed by Paul Walker, becomes injured.
Moxon moves from warming the bench to being expected to lead his team to a divisional title in place of Harbor.
Moxon faces familial pressure to continue a sport he does not enjoy, and the film navigates the pressures of small-town sports while maintaining comedic undertones.
“Varisty Blues” received award nominations from MTV, Blockbuster Entertainment and Teen Choice.
Specifically, Van Der Beek won the 1999 MTV Best Breakthrough Male Performance and Teen Choice Breakout Performance awards for his portrayal of Moxon.
In 2002, Van Der Beek starred in “The Rules of Attraction,” a romantic comedy about a college-aged love triangle alongside Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder and Kip Pardue.
Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, Van Der Beek plays Sean Bateman, a drug dealer with a wealthy background, pretending to be poor.
He develops an attraction toward Lauren Hynde, portrayed by Sossamon, who has an interest in Victor, played by Pardue. All while Hynde’s former boyfriend, Paul, portrayed by Somerhalder, pines after Bateman.
The film is a prequel to “American Psycho,” the 2000 horror comedy starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, Sean’s older brother.
Aside from his leading credits, Van Der Beek held multiple guest-starring and minor roles throughout his career.
In 2007, he guest-starred in season two, episode 27 of “Ugly Betty,” a comedy-drama series starring America Ferrera that ran from 2006 to 2010. Van Der Beek portrayed Luke Carnes, CEO of Atlantic Attire.
Over the course of three years, beginning in 2008, Van Der Beek appeared in “How I Met Your Mother,” a sitcom following main character Ted Mosby’s search for love alongside his friends Barney, Robin, Lily and Marshall.
In the three episodes he is in, he portrayed Simon Tremblay, Robin’s first boyfriend.
Tremblay is central to Robin’s backstory as a Canadian popstar and serves as a contradistinction to her current, hard-working and mature lifestyle.
Later in his career, Van Der Beek strayed from his dramatic roles and was a guest on season 28 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Partnered with professional dancer Emma Slater, the pair came in fifth place and were eliminated during the week 10 semi-finals.
Similarly, last year he competed in season 13 of “The Masked Singer,” a singing competition where celebrities perform in costumes to hide their identities, where he was eliminated in episode six.
Van Der Beek’s final role as school superintendent and mayoral candidate Dean Wilson in the series “Elle” premieres in July. The show follows a high school-aged Elle Woods and is a prequel to the 2001 romantic comedy “Legally Blonde.”
In November 2024, he revealed his cancer diagnosis and shared optimism throughout his treatment. In September, he announced he was dropping out of the “Dawson’s Creek” charity reunion event due to health struggles.
His death was announced on Instagram, and a GoFundMe in support of his family raised over $1.2 million within 24 hours of his death.
