"Because once upon a time, we were best friends. And yes, there's been a lot of bad stuff in between. But none of that matters anymore, okay? You need me, I'm there. Any time, any place, anywhere." - Dawson's Creek.
James van der Beek passed away on February 11, 2026 from colorectal cancer. Many of us predominantly remember him from a certain show called Dawson's Creek but he actually appeared on several shows (either as cameos or in bigger roles throughout various series' runs) & he had a bit of a movie career. Or some of us might have followed his adventures in fatherhood, that he posted about from Texas on his social media.
Van der Beek had cameos in several big name, long running shows over the years: Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother, One Tree Hill, & Modern Family. He also had larger parts in a couple of other shows (things that were not Dawson's Creek), like Vampirina & Don't Trust the B-- in Apartment 23. Van der Beek also was in movies: Varsity Blues, Scary Movie, Castle in the Sky, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Labor Day, Downsizing, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, & Salem Falls (to name a few).
The passing of James van der Beek gave many of us a pause - it doesn't feel overly long ago that Dawson's Creek was on; 48 is too young to pass away, even when cancer is involved. His work sometimes made us laugh & sometimes hit us right in the feels. For those of us wanting to go down memory lane, QPL has access to most of what is listed above. Anything else can be requested through interlibrary loan.