James Van Der Beek, who became a household name in the 1990s for his roles in Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, has died at the age of 48.
The actor revealed he was battling colorectal cancer in late 2024. TMZ was the first to report news of Van Der Beek’s death.
Van Der Beek’s most notable role was as Dawson Leery on the titular WB sitcom from 1998 to 2003. Around the same time, he also took on what would become another of his most beloved roles, the rebellious QB Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in 1999’s Varsity Blues. Both roles firmly ensconced Van Der Beek in the hearts and minds of an entire generation, defining the sensitive but fiery archetype of the ’90s/early 2000s leading man.
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Following the end of Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek briefly left TV to focus film roles. The run through the early 2010s resulted in films like 2002’s The Rules of Attraction (where he played Sean Bateman, brother of murderous Wall Street scum Patrick Bateman), 2003’s Castle in the Sky, and 2006’s The Plague. He’d also play the role of Red Ranger Rocky DeSanto in the internet-hyped Power/Rangers fan film from 2015.
But it’s TV where Van Der Beek really made his name. Following minor appearances on shows like Franklin & Bash and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Van Der Beek was cast as a hilarious, fictionalized version of himself in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012 to 2013). He’d also play rugged field agent Elijah Mundo on CSI: Cyber from 2015 to 2016. Van Der Beek’s last major TV gig came in 2018’s Pose, where he played kingpin Matt Bromley.
While perhaps not as beloved as Dawson’s Creek or Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, Van Der Beek was also the writer, creator, and showrunner for 2017’s What Would Diplo Do? (which was among the first shows featured on the Viceland network). There, he earned rave reviews for playing a fictionalized, markedly duller version of the famed DJ/producer. If you’ve seen Dawson’s Creek, you must see WWDD.
In recent years, Van Der Beek made a number of other cameos and guest spots, including Modern Family and Overcompensating. He was also the voice of Boris Hauntley on the Disney animated show Vampirina (where he and his family operated the “Scare B&B”). He was also featured on several game shows, including 2017’s Drop the Mic and 2025’s The Masked Singer (where he was revealed as The Griffin).
Van Der Beek was born on March 8, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, and started acting in middle school with a role as Reuben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From there, he made random appearances off-Broadway as well as several indie flicks (including 1996’s I Love You, I Love You Not) leading up to his big break with Dawson’s Creek. He was formerly married to actress Heather McComb from 2003 to 2010, and married Kimberly Brook in 2010. He and Brook share six children.
While his recent TV work certainly helped usher in a career resurgence, Van Der Beek also earned recent buzz for other, less ideal reasons. Despite receiving his cancer diagnosis in August 2023, Van Der Beek didn’t reveal the news until November 2024. A month later, he announced an auction of Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues memorabilia to help offset his medical costs. Despite the insanity of a well-known actor having to auction off important personal items to cover medical debt, that auction eventually raised more than $47,000.
One of Van Der Beek’s final public appearances was during a late September 2025 charity event for surrounding the Dawson’s Creek reunion. He’d originally intended to show up live alongside his cast mates, but instead made a brief video statement discussing the show and its uptick in attention.