James Van Der Beek has died at age 48 from colon cancer, shining a spotlight on rising cases in young adults. James Van Der Beek, the star of the hit teen drama Dawson's Creek in the 1990s and 2000s, died February 11, 2026, after fighting colorectal cancer at the age of 48. James Van Der Beek was a loving father to six children. The Dawson’s Creek star died on Feb. 11 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023. He was 48 years old. James Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 at age 48, more than a year after he announced he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. James David Van Der Beek (/ ˈvændərˌbiːk /; March 8, 1977 – February 11, 2026) was an American actor. James David Van Der Beek was born on March 8, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, as the oldest of three children of Melinda (Weber), a gymnastics studio owner and Broadway dancer, and Jim Van Der Beek, a cell phone company executive. Actor James Van Der Beek, best for his roles in Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues, has died following a diagnosis with colorectal cancer. James Van Der Beek, who played a beloved teen heartthrob at the center of the late '90s and early aughts drama Dawson’s Creek, has died following a battle with colorectal cancer. James David Van Der Beek was born on March 8, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, as the oldest of three children of Melinda (Weber), a gymnastics studio owner and Broadway dancer, and Jim Van Der Beek, a cell phone company executive. James Van Der Beek, the soft-eyed actor whose boyish good looks and earnestness landed him the leading role in ’90s teen drama “Dawson’s Creek” and catapulted him to stardom, has died.