James Van Der Beek shares poignant connection between his daughter and Dawson’s Creek amid his cancer battle

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James Van Der Beek shared a touching story about how his daughter, Olivia, relates to his show, Dawson’s Creek, as she turned 15.

The actor, 48, revealed that his oldest child is now the same age he was when he first starred in Dawson’s Creek. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year.

He played the main character, Dawson Leery, throughout the entire run of the show, from its start in 1998 to its end in 2003.

It was such a special moment when he posted a video of his daughter sharing the stage with his old colleagues! He wrote the most heartfelt, enthusiastic message along with it – you could really feel how proud he was.

She joined the rest of her former castmates at the Dawson’s Creek reunion and even sang the show’s theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole. Unfortunately, Van Der Beek couldn’t be there in person because he was sick, but he did make a virtual appearance.

He mentioned his oldest child turned fifteen today, adding that it was the same age as the character Dawson was when the show first aired.

He was completely captivated watching her. ‘Seeing you up there in that red dress, so sure of yourself in front of everyone I care about… it was amazing,’ he said, clearly impressed.

He also opened up about watching his eldest child grow up and told her how ‘proud’ he is of her. 

I used to say you were ‘parent-proof,’ meaning you always seemed to handle things on your own. But watching you grow up this past year – making big decisions, juggling activities, managing your time, and even prioritizing things like your homework and appearance – I realize that joke isn’t so funny anymore. You’re really taking care of yourself. Of course, nobody’s perfect, though.

He recounted a heartwarming moment of watching his daughter achieve something special, adding that he hoped she had picked up the skill or trait from him.

I remember when you invited me to your first high school football game. You explained on the way that you’d messed up my ticket in pretty much every way possible, and you could tell I was getting frustrated. But then you did something great – something I like to believe you learned from me, though I might be biased! You immediately owned up to the mistake, explained it was your first time handling tickets, apologized quickly, and then did everything you could to fix it.

He said he was prouder of how they dealt with the mistake than he would have been if everything had gone perfectly from the beginning.

Then, he addressed his teenage daughter and shared a heartwarming message with words of wisdom.

Don’t be afraid to take chances and embrace imperfections. Keep dreaming big, and most importantly, always be yourself. Only you will truly know who that authentic self becomes, but having known you your whole life, I’m certain you’ll love her. Happy birthday, and I love you.

James Van Der Beek is fighting stage 3 colon cancer after receiving his diagnosis in November 2024.

He unexpectedly joined the Dawson’s Creek reunion event online on Monday. However, he had to miss a live table read the day before, which was raising money for the F Cancer charity, because he wasn’t feeling well and had a stomach bug.

While Van Der Beek was sick, his wife Kimberly brought their children to the reunion because he really wanted them to go.

James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, have been married for 15 years and have six children together. Their kids range in age from two-year-old Jeremiah to 15-year-old Olivia, and also include 13-year-old Joshua, 11-year-old Annabel, nine-year-old Emilia, and six-year-old Gwendolyn.

He shared a heartfelt message with his fans this week explaining that he couldn’t make it to the charity event and reunion in person.

He’d been eagerly anticipating this event ever since Michelle Williams told him about it in January. So, he was devastated when he came down with two stomach viruses right before it, forcing him to stay home, as he shared in an Instagram post on Sunday.

No matter how hard I tried, I won’t be able to attend. I won’t be able to stand on stage and express my gratitude to everyone in the audience for their support, both for me and in the fight against cancer, during a time when I really needed it.

He was replaced by Lin-Manuel Miranda as the understudy for the role of Dawson. 

He announced online that he had an understudy – someone incredibly talented who he would have chosen first if he’d known they were available. He even joked that his own kids might think the understudy was better than him!

Please share the love around-especially with my family. I’ll be thinking of you all and sending positive energy from my hospital bed in Austin.

Along with Williams, fellow actors Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes were also present.

Although Van Der Beek couldn’t be with his family and former castmates in person at the Dawson’s Creek pilot reading on Broadway, he still made an appearance via video.

Williams, Holmes, and Jackson played a video message from Van Der Beek and then delighted the audience by bringing out even more celebrities to join them on stage.

He expressed his disappointment about missing something in a video, and fans became worried because he looked unwell.

It’s so disappointing not being able to hug my wonderful castmates in person. I just wanted to be on stage and thank everyone here tonight – the cast, the crew, and all those who generously gave their time. And most of all, thank you to all of *you*. You’re the greatest fans anyone could ask for, and we appreciate you being here.

The charity fundraiser will feature appearances by stars like Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps.

In November 2024, Van Der Beek shared that he had been diagnosed with a condition but was feeling well. He told People magazine that he believes in miracles and sees them happening frequently.

‘It’s scary at the onset. It’s overwhelming. Go easy on yourself. You got this.’ 

He shared how grateful he is for his wife and children, saying he feels lucky to have so much to look forward to and that life is good.

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2025-09-27 02:21