"Dawson's Creek" Actor James Van Der Beek Passes Away at 48

James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek stardom has sadly passed away at the age of 48. 

Actor James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame in the 90s for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, has died at the age of 48 after a battle with cancer. Announced on his official Instagram page, Van Der Beek’s family shared that the actor passed away peacefully this morning and asked for privacy during this time. 

James Van Der Beek was born on March 8th, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut. In middle school, Van Der Beek, who had been performing in local and school theatre, decided to pursue acting professionally. He made his off-Broadway debut at just 16 years old in Edward Albee’s play Finding the Sun. A year later, Van Der Beek made his feature film debut in 1995’s Angus before heading to Drew University. 

Van Der Beek left university after landing the lead role in Dawson’s Creek, making him a household name. For Disney fans, you’ll recognize his voice on the english dub of Pazu in Castle in the Sky. He also lended his voice to Disney Jr.’s Vampirina as Boris Hauntley. In terms of live-action roles, he starred in 2001 Dimension/Miramax film Texas Rangers, playing Lincoln Rogers Dunnison. 

James Van Der Beek was also one of the final actors considered for the role of Anakin Skywalker, which ultimately went to Hayden Christensen.