CHENNAI: James Van Der Beek, who shot to global fame as the titular character in the hit television series Dawson’s Creek, has died at the age of 48.
A statement posted on the actor’s official Instagram page on Wednesday said he died earlier in the day. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” the statement read.
Van Der Beek had revealed in 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer.
The actor became a household name in the late 1990s for his portrayal of aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003 on The WB. The coming-of-age drama followed a close-knit group of friends navigating love, friendship and adolescence, and helped define a generation of teen television.
Apart from the series, Van Der Beek starred in films such as Varsity Blues and appeared in television shows including CSI: Cyber, where he played FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo. He later parodied his teen heartthrob image through appearances in comedy sketches and music videos.
In September last year, he made a surprise virtual appearance at a Dawson’s Creek reunion charity event in New York, thanking fans during a live reading of the show’s pilot episode.