Actor James van der Beek has died aged 48, his wife has confirmed. The Dawson’s Creek star had been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer since 2024.
Actor James Van Der Beek has died, his wife Kimberly confirmed on Instagram on Wednesday. Although the cause of death was not mentioned, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actor had been suffering from stage 3 colorectal cancer since 2024. He was 48.
James van der Beek (L) and the actor with his wife Kimberly (R). (James van der Beek on Instagram)”Our beloved James David van der Beek passed away peacefully this morning,” read Kimberly van der Beek’s statement. “He met his final days with courage, faith and grace. He has much to share about his will, love for humanity and the sanctity of time. Those days will come.
“For now we ask for peaceful privacy to mourn our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
James van der Wyk Cancer Battle: What to KnowJames van der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023, but kept it a secret until publicly revealing it in November 2024. She had no family history of the disease and was unaware that screening guidelines dropped to age 45, she revealed in an Instagram video in 2024.
The cancer was localized (stage 3), giving a cautiously optimistic prognosis with a five-year survival rate of about 91% per American Cancer Society data, according to a report by the cancer news website, Oncodely.
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“Cancer is a wild thing,” he says in the video. “It really forces you to look at your own mortality and decide what’s important and what you want to live the rest of your life without.
She regularly shares updates on her cancer battle on her Instagram account. Here is the latest video he posted last year.
Van Der Beek was an American actor best known for his role as Dawson Leary in the hit TV series Dawson’s Creek, which made him a household name in the late 1990s. He has also appeared in films, sitcoms and several stage productions.
Shamik is a journalist with a diverse background in digital newsrooms. At Hindustan Times, he covers US news and global affairs. A curious mind, he is always researching some new, obscure obsession. Off duty, you can find him reading, watching movies or indulging his passion for sports.Read more
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