"Goodbye, Dawson"... "Dawson's Creek" Star James Van Der Beek Dies After Battle With Colon Cancer
by Lee Jonggil
Published 12 Feb.2026 09:41(KST)
"Never Lost Courage or Faith Until the Very End"
Catapulted to Global Stardom with a 1998 Drama
Kept His Passion for Acting Burning Through 2024
James Van Der Beek, who starred in the American TV drama "Dawson's Creek," passed away on the 11th (local time). He was 48.
His family announced the news via his official social media account the same day, writing, "Our beloved James passed away peacefully this morning." According to foreign media outlets including the New York Times, he had been undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2024.
Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, in 1977, he moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actor and made his debut on Broadway. What catapulted the then-unknown actor to global stardom was the WB channel drama "Dawson's Creek," which first aired in 1998. Set in a fictional town in Massachusetts, the series delicately portrayed the love, friendship, and struggles of teenagers, and he enjoyed phenomenal popularity in the role of Dawson Leery. It also aired in Korea, where it drew a strong response and produced youth stars of the era such as Katie Holmes.
He continued to reinvent himself as an actor. He showcased his wide range by playing a womanizing doctor in the NBC drama "Mercy" and an FBI agent in the "CSI: Cyber" series. Even in 2024, while battling illness, he poured his passion into acting by appearing in the romantic comedy film "Sidelined: The QB and Me."
He is survived by his wife Kimberly Brook and their six children.
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