BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – James Van Der Beek, the beloved actor who captured the hearts of millions as Dawson Leery on the cultural phenomenon “Dawson’s Creek,” has passed away, TMZ reports. He was 48 years old.
The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death was reported at 6:44 AM, though no cause of death was immediately disclosed, TMZ reported. However, the loss comes less than two months after Van Der Beek publicly announced he was battling colorectal cancer in late 2024.
A Career That Defined a Generation
Van Der Beek’s career spanned decades, but his role as the introspective, film-loving protagonist on “Dawson’s Creek” made him a household name when the series premiered in 1998. For six seasons, audiences tuned in to watch Dawson navigate the complexities of adolescence alongside best friends Joey Potter and Pacey Witter, creating a show that became a cultural touchstone for millennials…