Varsity Blues And Dawson's Creek Star James Van Der Beek Dead At 48
James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson Leery on "Dawson's Creek" and can also be seen in films like "Varsity Blues," died at the age of 48 on February 11, 2026 due to complications from colorectal cancer.
In an Instagram post by his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, the late actor's wife announced, "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."
Van Der Beek had six children with his wife and, in 2024, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer one year prior (via People Magazine). In November 2025, he announced that he was auctioning off items from "Dawson's Creek" to help pay for his cancer treatments.
James Van Der Beek appeared in many varied projects throughout his decades-long career
Born in Connecticut in 1977, James Van Der Beek got his start as a young actor on Broadway at just 16 years old in a production of Edward Albee's play "Finding the Sun" — and after making a name for himself on-stage, Van Der Beek dropped out of Drew University in New Jersey to take the role of Dawson Leery. This was, professionally, an excellent call. The series on The WB created by Kevin Williamson (also, hilariously enough, known for "Scream") catapulted Van Der Beek to worldwide stardom alongside his co-stars Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes, and Busy Phillips, just to name a few.
"Dawson's Creek" premiered in 1998 and Van Der Beek's biggest film to date, "Varsity Blues," released just one year later, casting him as high school quarterback Jonathan "Mox" Moxon. In the years that followed, Van Der Beek found increasingly funny ways to pay homage to the high school roles that made him famous. In singer Kesha's 2011 music video for her single "Blow," he portrays himself, only for her to call him "James van der Bleak," and in the outstanding and super-underrated comedy series "Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23," he also plays himself, lampooning his image as a guy who's really coasting on the whole "Dawson's Creek" thing. Van Der Beek also popped up in popular shows like "How I Met Your Mother," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Modern Family," and played leading roles in series like "Pose" and "CSI: Cyber."
In recent years, Van Der Beek appeared on Benito Skinner's 2025 comedy series "Overcompensating." Our thoughts are with Van Der Beek's family and loved ones.