American actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his starring role in the teen series "Dawson's Creek," has died at the age of 48 after a battle with colon cancer.
Among his notable roles are Mox in the film "Varsity Blues" and Sean Bateman in the film "The Rules of Attraction".
"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning," his family said in a statement posted on their social media accounts, the BBC reported.
"He met his final days with courage, faith and dignity," they added.
The actor was diagnosed with the disease in the second half of 2023, but he only shared the news publicly in November 2024.
The father of six marked the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s with roles in popular series and films.
In an interview with "Business Insider," he revealed that he had noticed changes in his bowel movements, which is a common symptom of colon cancer.
He stopped drinking coffee to see if it would help, before taking the screening test.
The results showed that he was suffering from stage three of the disease, which means that the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Van Der Beek said that the most difficult moment during his treatment was the feeling that he was losing key parts of his identity.
"All those wonderful things that I love and that I defined myself by – father, breadwinner, husband – all of that was gone or at least put on hold. I had to sit and ask myself, 'Who am I?' And the answer was, 'I'm still worthy of love,'" he said at the time.
After his diagnosis, he dedicated himself to raising awareness about the importance of preventive checkups.
He also competed in the 28th season of the American show "Dancing with the Stars".
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