NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in and in later years mocking his own hunky persona, has died. He was 48.
鈥淥ur 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,鈥� said a posted on Instagram. 鈥淔or now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.鈥�
Van Der Beek revealed in 2024 that he was being treated for
Van Der Beek made a surprise video appearance in September at a 鈥淒awson’s Creek鈥� reunion charity event in New York City after previously dropping out due to illness.
He appeared projected onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during a live reading of the show鈥檚 pilot episode to benefit F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Lin-Manuel Miranda subbed for him on stage.
“Thank you to every single person here,鈥� Van Der Beek said.
Forever tied to 鈥楧awson鈥檚 Creek’
A one-time theater kid, Van Der Beek would star in the movie 鈥淰arsity Blues鈥� and on TV in 鈥淐SI: Cyber鈥� as FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo, but was forever connected to 鈥淒awson鈥檚 Creek,鈥� which ran from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.
The series followed a group of high school friends as they learned about falling in love, creating real friendships and finding their footing in life. Van Der Beek, then 20, played 15-year-old Dawson Leery, who aspired to be a director of Steven Spielberg quality.
With Paula Cole鈥檚 鈥淚 Don鈥檛 Want To Wait,鈥� as its moody theme song, 鈥淒awson’s Creek鈥� helped define The WB as a haven for teens and young adults who related to its hyper-articulate dialogue and frank talk about sexuality. And it made household names of Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.
鈥淲hile James’ legacy will always live on, to not just your family but the world,鈥� wrote to his widow on Instagram. Katharine McPhee Foster added: 鈥淭his is just beyond devastating news.鈥� Others posting messages of mourning were Jenna Dewan and Olivia Munn.
The show caused a stir when one of the teens embarked on a racy affair with a teacher 20 years his senior and when Holmes’ character climbed through Dawson’s bedroom window and they curled up together. Racier shows like 鈥淓uphoria鈥� and 鈥淪ex Education鈥� owe a debt to 鈥淒awson’s Creek.鈥�
Van Der Beek sometimes struggled to get out from under the shadow of the show but eventually leaned into lampooning himself, like on Funny Or Die videos and on which included his laser gun battle with the pop star in a nightclub and dead unicorns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to compete with something that was the cultural phenomenon that 鈥楧awson鈥檚 Creek鈥� was,鈥� he told Vulture in 2013. 鈥淚t ran for so long. That鈥檚 a lot of hours playing one character in front of people. So it鈥檚 natural that they associate you with that.鈥�
A popular GIF and 鈥榁arsity Blues鈥�
More than a decade after the show went off the air, a scene at the end of the show鈥檚 third season became a GIF. Dawson was watching as his soul mate embarks on a love affair with his best friend and burst into tears.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 scripted that I was supposed to cry; it was just one of those things where it鈥檚 a magical moment and it just happens in the scene,鈥� Van Der Beek told Vanity Fair. He seemed exasperated when he told the Los Angeles Times: 鈥淎ll of a sudden, six years of work was boiled down to one seven-second clip on loop.鈥� (Van Der Beek himself recreated the GIF in 2011 for Funny or Die and gave it a second life.)
While still on 鈥淒awson鈥檚 Creek,鈥� Van Der Beek hosted 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� 鈥� the musical guest was Everlast 鈥� and landed a plumb role in 鈥淰arsity Blues,鈥� playing a second-string high school quarterback who leaps into the breach when the star suffers an injury.
Van Der Beek鈥檚 character, Mox, turns out to not be a football fanatic, preferring to read Kurt Vonnegut and yearning for the college education that will allow him to escape the jock mentality of his Texas town.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want your life,鈥� he screams at one point. Critic Roger Ebert called him 鈥渃onvincing and likable.鈥�
After 鈥楧awson鈥檚 Creek鈥�
Some of his projects after 鈥淒awson鈥檚 Creek鈥� included co-creating and playing Wesley 鈥淒iplo鈥� Pentz, a dull but likable music producer in the mockumentary satire on Viceland, 鈥淲hat Would Diplo Do?鈥� In 2019, he made it to the semifinals of ABC鈥檚 鈥淒ancing with the Stars鈥� and played a balding, out-of-shape ex-boyfriend on 鈥淗ow I Met Your Mother.鈥�
鈥淭he more you make fun of yourself and don鈥檛 try to go for any kind of respect, the more people seem to respect you,鈥� he told Vanity Fair in 2011. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a clown trapped in a leading man鈥檚 body.鈥�
Between 2003 and 2013, he made appearances in shows like 鈥淐riminal Minds,鈥� 鈥淥ne Tree Hill,鈥� and 鈥淗ow I Met Your Mother.鈥� He played himself with a crackpot intensity in the Krysten Ritter-led ABC drama 鈥淒on鈥檛 Trust the B鈥� in Apartment 23,鈥� and the short-lived 鈥淐SI鈥� spinoff 鈥淐SI: Cyber鈥� and CBS鈥� 鈥淔riends With Better Lives.鈥�
He鈥檚 also appeared in movies such as Kevin Smith鈥檚 2001 comedy 鈥淛ay and Silent Bob Strike Back鈥� and its 2019 sequel, 鈥淛ay and Silent Bob Reboot.鈥� He was in the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation of 鈥淭he Rules of Attraction鈥� in 2002 opposite Jessica Biel and Kate Bosworth.
In 2025, he was unmasked as Griffin on 鈥淭he Masked Singer,鈥� after singing a cover of John Denver鈥檚 鈥淭ake Me Home, Country Roads鈥� and 鈥淚 Had Some Help鈥� by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.
Early life as a theater kid
Van Der Beek, who was raised in Cheshire, Connecticut, started acting at 13 after suffering a concussion playing football that prevented him from playing for a year. He landed the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of 鈥淕rease.鈥�
He stuck with theater, landing at 16 in 1994 an off-Broadway role in 鈥淔inding the Sun鈥� by Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee and one of the sons in a revival of 鈥淪henandoah鈥� at the prestigious Goodspeed Opera House in his home state.
He earned a scholarship to New Jersey鈥檚 Drew University but left school early when he was cast in 鈥淒awson鈥檚 Creek.鈥� In 2024, he returned to campus to accept an honorary degree for his 鈥渟elfless service and exemplary commitment to the mission of Drew,鈥� the university said.
Drew University President Hilary Link welcomed Van Der Beek with a popular quote from his 鈥淒awson鈥檚 Creek鈥� character: 鈥淓dge is fleeting,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut heart lasts forever. So on this morning, we pay tribute to that heart.鈥�
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report.
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