What James Van Der Beek said about battling cancer before his death

James Van Der Beek was an open book when it came to the reality of battling cancer.

The "Dawson's Creek" star died on Wednesday, Feb. 11, after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023. He was 48. The news was shared in a statement on the actor's Instagram page, which said he "met his final days with courage, faith, and grace."

Since announcing his diagnosis, Van Der Beek had discussed his cancer battle in numerous interviews and television appearances and said he hoped his story would inspire others to get screened.

Van Der Beek initially revealed to People magazine in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer the previous August. Here's what the actor has said:

James Van Der Beek 'went into shock' after cancer diagnosis

"I think I went into shock a little bit," he recalled in his 2024 interview with People, adding, "There's a part of me that felt like maybe I wanted to break down and fall apart, but then a more logical part came in and said, 'Well, you just don't have the information yet.'"

The following morning, he said, it "really weighed on me that I was in for a process I had not anticipated," and "thus began the full-time job of having cancer."

Van Der Beek went on to tell People magazine that "about 90% of the time," he focused on the fact that the diagnosis would lead him to make lifestyle changes "that I'm going to look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, 'thank God that happened,'" although "10% of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess."

James Van Der Beek hoped his cancer diagnosis would help others

The following month, Van Der Beek spoke on "Good Morning America" about how his diagnosis initially felt like a "nightmare" that he "couldn't quite wake up from." But he shared why he hoped opening up about it would be helpful and inspire others to get screened for cancer.

"Having been in the public eye as long as I have, as soon as this happened, I thought, 'You know what? There's going to be a purpose to this. I think by sharing this, I can do some good," he said, adding, "As amazing and cathartic as this year has been, it's been really tough. So if I can spare anybody the experience of my last year, I would definitely want to do that."

James Van Der Beek appreciated 'every single moment' after diagnosis

Van Der Beek spoke further about this goal in a July 2025 appearance on the "Today" show, where he said he wanted to "spread the word" that "you don't need to have really obvious symptoms to get screened." He said that before his own diagnosis, he did not experience any symptoms that made him "rush" to get checked.

"I take things a little bit more slowly now," he also said on the show. "... Just taking the time to appreciate every single moment."

James Van Der Beek's diagnosis sparked realization about importance of self-love

In an interview with USA TODAY published in August 2025, the "Varsity Blues" star said his cancer battle had also forced him to reflect on his "mortality and decide what's important," leading him to realize how "negative my self-talk was."

"When I was getting treatment and away from the beautiful cacophony of six kids and 36 acres and five dogs and a bearded dragon and the beautiful chaos that is my life, in the quiet, I realized how negatively I was talking to myself," he said. "And so, that started a whole journey of just recognizing how important self-love is and how necessary and how simple it is."

James Van Der Beek reflected on missing 'Dawson's Creek' reunion amid cancer battle

In September, Van Der Beek was unable to attend a "Dawson's Creek" reunion event in New York City, but he delivered a message remotely saying he had "been looking forward to this night for months and months and months" and "can't believe I'm not there."

The actor later clarified on the "Today" show in December that he missed this event because he was battling a stomach virus, which was unrelated to his cancer. "I'd lost so much weight because of the stomach virus," he said.

James Van Der Beek says cancer diagnosis increased his 'connection to God'

During this December update on the "Today" show, Van Der Beek said he was feeling "a little bit better every month," but he noted that battling cancer required "more strength than I knew I had."

"I knew I was strong," he said. "I didn't know I was this strong."

Van Der Beek reflected on the show on the way his cancer battle led him onto a "journey of self-love," caused him to be more present, and made him closer to God. "What I realized was I'm still worthy of love," he said. "My own love. God's love."

He continued, "Before cancer, God was something I tried to fit into my life as much as possible. After cancer, I feel like a connection to God, whatever that is, is kind of the whole point of this exercise on this planet."

Contributing: Charles Trepany