James Van Der Beek knows he has the best TV mom: Mary-Margaret Humes.
The Dawson’s Creek star, 47, shared a video via Instagram of a special birthday delivery from Humes, who played his mom, Gail Leery, on the beloved teen drama from 1998 to 2003. Van Der Beek revealed that, Humes, 69, has been sending him homemade cookies every year on his birthday since his own mom, Melinda Van Der Beek, died in 2020 at the age of 70.
“Happy Birthday Kiddo … You MAY want to check for a package on your doorstep. All my love, Mama MM,” Humes teased alongside a photo of the pair on Instagram Friday, March 8.
Van Der Beek clearly got the FedEx package and was excited to share the news with his social media followers.
“It doesn’t matter that I’m now older than she was when we first worked together, or that I’ve moved to Texas. She bakes them, and finds me, and does it from the bottom of her heart — and it always warms mine,” the actor shared on Instagram Friday, which also happened to be International Women’s Day.
“Here’s to all the kind, wonderful, loving women on #internationalwomensday who — mothers or not — show the kind of love that lights up the lives of those around them. @thereal_marymargarethumes,” he added.
“Of all the boys who’ve ever been on television, I for sure had the best TV mom,” Van Der Beek insisted as he took a bite of the sweet treat. “Mary-Margaret, thank you so much. I love you.”
Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, then popped into frame to add that she also loves Humes and her cookies. We’re sure the couple’s six kids — Gwendolyn, 5, Emilia, 7, Annabel, 10, Olivia, 13, and sons Joshua, 11, and Jeremiah, 2 — enjoyed the baked goods, as well.
Van Der Beek and Humes have stayed in touch over the years, and even reunited with Mitch Leery himself, John Wesley Shipp, in 2019 to celebrate Van Der Beek’s run on Dancing With the Stars. The costars also got to reminisce about their time in Capeside during a 20-year reunion piece with Entertainment Weekly in 2018.
“I was actually with James when he signed his first autograph,” Humes recalled. “My husband and I had taken James up to Universal City in L.A. to watch a movie. This girl came up to James and said, ‘Excuse me, aren’t you that guy on Dawson’s Creek? May I have your autograph?’ He signed it and said, ‘Oh my God, Mary-Margaret, that was my first!’ And, of course, my thought was ‘Oh, honey, hang on.’”
