‘Dawson’s Creek’s' Joshua Jackson Breaks Silence After James Van Der Beek’s Death

James Van Der Beek, best-known for his role as Dawson Leery on teen drama series Dawson’s Creek, passed away on February 11, 2026 at age 48. The actor endured a nearly-three-year battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, writing, “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

Kimberly and James shared six children together—Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah.

Now, one of Van Der Beek's co-stars is speaking out.

Joshua Jackson’s Tribute to His Late Dawson’s Creek Co-Star

One month after James Van Der Beek’s passing, his Dawson’s Creek co-star and friend Joshua Jackson commented on this tragic loss.

“I think it hits in a variety of different ways,” Jackson shared on the Today show on Tuesday, March 10. “For me as a father now, the enormity of that tragedy hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague, so I think the processing is ongoing.”

Jackson said that Dawson’s Creek was a truly “formative” experience and noted that he’s been reflecting on Van Der Beek’s legacy “quite a bit.”

The actor added, “He became what we used to just call a ‘good man,’ a man of the kind of belief, the kind of faith that allowed him to face the impossible with grace, an unbelievable partner and husband, right? Just a real man who showed up for his family and a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father. And so while on the one hand that’s beautiful and I think he did lead a very good life and he was a good man, it is also, the tragedy of that loss for his family is enormous.”

Jackson Promotes Cancer Screenings

In honor of Van Der Beek, Jackson teamed up with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to bring awareness to cancer screenings, featuring mascot from the Philadelphia Flyers, Gritty. Colorectal cancer ranks as the third most common form of cancer, accounting for roughly 10 percent of all cancer cases. It’s also the second leading cause of cancer-related mortalities throughout the world.

“I didn’t realize the number is 65% of people in our age cohort haven’t gone out and gotten tested. Haven’t started the conversation. That’s where the idea started. I also liked that they wanted to do something that was a little bit light because this is not a fun conversation. It’s kind of scary,” Jackson said.

Jackson noted that while he believes screening and testing have improved, early detection is key.

“And I don’t know about the guys that you know, but the guys that I know, guys don’t like to talk about this. We don’t like to go to the doctor. We don’t like to deal with this stuff. There are a lot of ways in your life, that stiff upper lip thing can be helpful, but in this, it’s not helpful at all,” he added.