The cast of “Dawson’s Creek” has reacted to James Van Der Beek’s tragic death at the age of 48 following a years-long battle with colorectal cancer.
Van Der Beek portrayed the titular Dawson Leery for all six seasons of the iconic WB teen drama from 1998 to 2003.
Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, both 47, starred as Dawson’s best friends Joey Potter and Pacey Witter, respectively. Michelle Williams, meanwhile, appeared in the iconic series as Dawson’s next-door neighbor, Jen Lindley.
Busy Philipps, who joined “Dawson’s Creek” as Audrey Liddell at the beginning of Season 5 in 2001, also took to social media to remember her late co-star in the wake of his sad passing.
Besides “Dawson’s Creek,” the pair had reunited once more for the Season 2 premiere of “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” which aired in 2012.
“My heart is deeply hurting for all of us today … every person who knew James and loved him,” Philipps, 46, wrote on Instagram. “But I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children.”
“James Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and i don’t know what else to say. i am just so so sad,” she continued alongside three sweet snaps of her and Van Der Beek. “He was my friend and i loved him and i’m so grateful for our friendship all these years.”
Van Der Beek’s wife of 15 years, Kimberly, announced the beloved actor’s death in a joint Instagram statement on Wednesday.
She wrote that the “Dawson’s Creek” alum, with whom she shared six children, “passed peacefully” on Wednesday morning and “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,” Kimberly said. “Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
Chad Michael Murray, who portrayed Charlie Todd for 12 episodes in Season 5, commented beneath the Instagram post and said, “Sending love and light to your beautiful family. James was a giant. We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us — he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.”
Although the “Varsity Blues” star had been quietly battling Stage 3 cancer since August 2023, he didn’t announce the news publicly until November 2024.
“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he said in a statement to People at the time.
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” Van Der Beek, who was later forced to auction off his personal “Dawson’s Creek” memorabilia to help fund his cancer treatments, added.
The “Labor Day” star remained vocal about his battle with colorectal cancer in the months before his death, and Williams, 45, organized a “Dawson’s Creek” reunion and charity event in partnership with F Cancer in September 2025.
Van Der Beek, however, was forced to pull out of the event at the last minute due to what he described as “two stomach viruses.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda ultimately sat in for Van Der Beek for a live table read of the “Dawson’s Creek” pilot episode with Williams, Holmes, Jackson, Philipps and more former co-stars at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.
“I can’t believe I’m not there,” Van Der Beek told attendees during a surprise virtual appearance at the reunion. “I can’t believe I don’t get to see my beautiful cast in person.”
“It’s just absolutely humbling just how much you did for this night, and I just want to say thank you,” the actor, who later acknowledged his shocking weight loss, added. “Thank you to every single person here.”
As for his former “Dawson’s Creek” co-stars, Van Der Beek praised them until the very end.
“I used to say it’s like people you went to high school with,” he gushed during an interview published in August 2025. “You get together, and then before long, there’s a natural rhythm and rapport that happens.”
“But what’s really fun is how the rapport has changed,” he noted. “We’ve all lived so much life in between, and getting to rediscover just how cool they are — that’s where the real joy is.”
