James Van Der Beek

James William Van Der Beek was born in 1977 in Connecticut. He got his acting start in an off-Broadway production of Edward Albee’s play Finding the Sun in New York City at the age of 16.

Two years later, he made his film debut with a role in 1995’s Angus. That same year, Van Der Beek appeared on As the World Turns for three episodes. The actor was attending Drew University when he booked the role of Dawson Leery on The WB’s Dawson’s Creek. The series, which ran from 1998 to 2002, propelled Van Der Beek to superstardom.

The Varsity Blues star has since had success on television working on Mercy, Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23, CSI: Cyber and Vampirina. In 2017, he wrote, starred and served as an executive producer on What Would Diplo Do? Two years later, the New England native competed on Dancing With the Stars.

Van Der Beek was married to Heather McComb from 2003 to 2009. He wed Kimberly Van Der Beek in 2010 and welcomed their first child, daughter Olivia, that same year. James and Kimberly later welcomed four more children: Joshua, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn.

The family relocated from Los Angeles to Texas in October 2020. One year later, the couple secretly welcomed their sixth child, son Jeremiah, in November 2021 after Kimberly suffered multiple miscarriages.

James announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Van Der Beek died on February 11, 2026, at the age of 48.