James Van Der Beek Biography

James Van Der Beek played pensive, movie-loving teen Dawson Leery on the hit TV drama Dawson’s Creek from 1998-2003. (The same series launched the careers of Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.) Dawson’s Creek made Van Der Beek a popular wholesome heartthrob and led to his starring role in the 1999 movie Varsity Blues (with Paul Walker and Ali Larter).

After that big splash, his appearances on the big screen became somewhat rarer: film roles included Texas Rangers (2001, with Usher), The Rules of Attraction (2002, based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis), The Plague (2006) and Labor Day (2013). He appeared in the Kevin Smith comedies Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

Van Der Beek was much more active on TV, with many guest and recurring appearances on series like Ugly Betty (with America Ferrera), How I Met Your Mother,  One Tree Hill, . James Van Der Beek played Dr. Joe Briggs for 10 episodes on the short-lived hospital show Mercy in 2010. He starred in the procedural CSI: Cyber (2016-17) and played an American billionaire on the 2017 British sitcom Carters Get Rich.

James Van Der Beek revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer the previous year. He died of the disease in 2026. His family posted to Instagram: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”