US actor James Van Der Beek has died at the age of 48.
The actor, best known for portraying the titular character Dawson Leery in the teen drama series Dawson’s Creek, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023, publicly disclosing his diagnosis the following year.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” his family said in a statement on Thursday.
“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.”
Born in March 1977 in Connecticut, Van Der Beek got his big break with Dawson’s Creek, a teen drama that premiered in 1998. Van Der Beek played the eponymous character, an introspective teenager, until the show’s finale in 2003.
The series followed a high school group of friends as they learned about falling in love, creating real friendships and finding their footing in life.
The actor made a surprise video appearance in September at a Dawson’s Creek reunion charity event in New York City after previously dropping out due to illness.
In addition to his role in Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek also appeared in the series Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and CSI: Cyber and Pose. His film credits included 1999’s Varsity Blues and 2002’s The Rules of Attraction.
Van Der Beek married his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek in 2010. The couple had six children together.
— With additional reporting by the Associated Press via the Australian Associated Press.
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