James Van Der Beek has died at the age of 48 following a long battle with colorectal cancer. His wife, Kimberly, confirmed the tragic news in a heartfelt Instagram post. Van Der Beek publicly announced his cancer diagnosis in 2024 and shared health updates over the past year. Van Der Beek was the father of six children.
Van Der Beek began his acting career in the early 1990s, with small appearances in Clarissa Explains It All, As the World Turns, and Angus. In 1998, Van Der Beek received his big break as Dawson Leery on the teen drama Dawson’s Creek, which is now streaming on Netflix. The role transformed Van Der Beek into a heartthrob and teen icon, as the show became one of the defining shows of the decade.
What is Dawson’s Creek about?
Credit: Columbia TriStar Television
In the town of Capeside, Massachusetts, teenager Dawson Leery (Van Der Beek) dreams of following in the footsteps of his filmmaking idol, Steven Spielberg. The ambitious Dawson enlists his friends, Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson) and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), to help make his amateur movies. In the pilot episode, Dawson meets Jen (Michelle Williams), the girl next door who moves in with her grandmother, and quickly falls in love. The six-season show followed this quartet as they navigated the trials and tribulations of teenage life.
Created by Scream’s Kevin Williamson, Dawson’s Creek quickly became a breakout hit on The WB. The show hit all the hallmarks of a successful teen drama—love triangles, peer pressure, and the transition to adulthood. Like many teen dramas, Dawson’s Creek had its fair share of melodramatic moments, some better than others. However, the show resonated with young viewers because it addressed relatable problems of identity crisis, sexuality, alcohol, and family conflict. If you liked the teen dramas of the 2000s, including The O.C. and One Tree Hill, then you’ll love the show that inspired them all, Dawson’s Creek.
Dawson’s Creek is available to stream on multiple streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu.
Release Date
1998-00-00 – 2003-00-00
Network
The WB
Directors
Greg Berlanti
James Van Der Beek’s other notable roles
Credit: Paramount Pictures
The four leads all went on to have successful careers after the show. However, Van Der Beek became a generational symbol for ’90s culture. While on Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek starred in Varsity Blues, a coming-of-age drama about a high school football team in Texas. Van Der Beek plays Mox, the backup quarterback thrust into the spotlight after the starter suffers a devastating injury. Van Der Beek’s “Let’s be heroes” speech still gives me the chills.
Van Der Beek would go on to make memorable appearances in the ABC sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, the police procedural CSI: Cyber, and season 1 of Ryan Murphy’s Pose. In 2025, Van Der Beek starred in Prime Video’s comedy show Overcompensating and Tubi’s original movie Sidelined: The QB and Me.
Van Der Beek’s final role will be as a recurring guest star in Elle, Prime Video’s prequel series to Legally Blonde. Elle arrives on July 1, 2026.
If you want more recommendations, don’t miss out on these movies leaving Netflix, including Zodiac and The Wolf of Wall Street. Plus, there are several great documentaries on the streamer, including one about the 1980 Winter Olympics.
