Dawson's Creek Star James Van Der Beek Has Died At 48

James Van Der Beek – a pop culture icon among millennial audiences who will long be remembered for his titular role on the drama series Dawson's Creek and for the football movie Varsity Blues – has passed away at the age of 48.

The news comes from the actor's personal Instagram feed, the captioned image noting that Van Der Beek died earlier this morning following a battle with Stage 3 colorectal cancer. You can see the the post below:

Van Der Beek is survived by his wife Kimberly Brook and their six children.

Born in Connecticut, the actor got his start on the small screen with roles in episodes of shows including Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains It All, the soap opera As The World Turns and the short-lived TGIF sitcom Aliens In The Family. In 1998, he got his big break starring in the WB teen drama Dawson's Creek as Dawson Leery – an aspiring filmmaker living in Massachusetts who sees his relationships with his best friends (Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes) shift with the arrival of a new girl moving to town (Michelle Williams).

On the big screen, he made his feature debut as the bully Rick Sandford in the 1995 coming-of-age dramedy Angus, but he's best known for 1999's Varsity Blues – in which he plays a talented high school quarterback named Jonathon "Mox" Moxon who is in conflict about his future due to intense pressure from his father (Jon Voight).

His other notable movies include 2002's The Rules Of Attraction, Kevin Smith's Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jason Reitman's Labor Day.

While best known for his work in the '90s/'00s, he worked consistently in the last 20 years, with shows including Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23 (in which he played a satirical – and hilarious – version of himself), CSI: Cyber, and the animated Vampirina.

Last year, he was a contestant on the singing competition The Masked Singer in addition to appearing in two episodes of the streaming comedy series Overcompensating. He will posthumously be featured in a recurring role in the upcoming Prime Video series Elle (the Legally Blonde prequel).

In November 2024, Van Der Beek publicly announced that had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and he got an outpouring of support last year when he began auctioning memorabilia from his work up for auction to help pay for his medical bills.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts and sympathies to James Van Der Beek's family, friends, loved ones and fans during an incredibly sad time. Those who wish to watch and/or revisit some of the actor's most beloved and memorable work can find Dawson's Creek available to stream with a Hulu subscription, and Varsity Blues is available if you have a Paramount+ account.