Following the heartbreaking passing of James Van Der Beek on February 11 after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, his former castmates from Dawson’s Creek have been left grappling with his loss.
Best known for playing Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003, Van Der Beek was a part of a generation’s coming-of-age story.
To honor him, Katie Holmes, who starred opposite him as Joey Potter, shared a handwritten tribute on Instagram.
Katie Holmes reflected on their shared creative beginnings and the emotional safety they built as young actors on the Dawson’s Creek set
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Rather than issuing a polished statement, Holmes posted a photograph of a handwritten letter on February 12.
She began simply, “James, thank you.”
The 47-year-old described what it meant to grow up creatively alongside him during their formative years on the Wilmington, North Carolina set, where the series began filming in 1997.
“To share a space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression,” she wrote.
Holmes recalled “laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs — adventures of a unique youth.”
The internet quickly praised Holmes’ handwritten letter and their bond on Dawson’s Creek
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Holmes also praised his “compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength,” adding that he carried “an appreciation for life with the integrity that life is art.”
The actress noted the life he built away from the spotlight, calling his marriage and fatherhood “a journey of a hero”, who created “a beautiful marriage, six loving children.” He was married to Kimberly Brook, and the couple shared six children.
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She closed by addressing his wife directly, “Kimberly, we love you and will be here always for you and your beautiful children.”
Fans quickly responded to the handwritten gesture.
“I love that she handwrote the letter. The bond they and the rest of the cast had seemed truly authentic and strong,” one person commented.
Another wrote, “I was waiting for her tribute. So beautiful, Katie. He was a unicorn.”
Besides Katie Holmes, other cast members of Dawson’s Creek shared personal memories with James Van Der Beek
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Holmes’s message was part of a wider outpouring from the Dawson’s Creek family, many of whom had reunited in September 2025 in New York City for a live reading of the pilot episode benefiting the charity F Cancer and Van Der Beek.
While the Varsity Blues star was unable to attend the event due to health complications, he appeared in a prerecorded video.
“I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person… It’s just absolutely humbling,” he said in the video.
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Busy Philipps, who joined the show in its later seasons, described him as “one in a billion”.
“My heart is deeply hurting for all of us today… But I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife, Kimberly, and their six magical children.”
Mary-Margaret Humes, who portrayed Dawson’s mother, called him “my gracious warrior,” praising the “quiet strength and dignity” with which he fought cancer.
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“Our last conversations… merely a few days ago… are forever sitting softly in my heart,” she shared.
Series creator Kevin Williamson also shared a heartfelt tribute, saying he was “truly at a loss for words.”
Before his passing, Van Der Beek’s final public appearances and posts revealed a father focused on gratitude despite financial and health struggles
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Van Der Beek first disclosed his colorectal cancer diagnosis publicly in November 2024, though he had been undergoing treatment since 2023.
In interviews that year, he spoke candidly about the emotional toll of illness and the pressure he felt as a provider.
“I like to take care of everybody,” he told People in 2024. “I’m a provider, and I was trying to be Superman and be all things to everybody.”
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“I was also a water pump expert. The holiday decorations foreman,” he went on to say. “I’m an empath, and telling people required a lot of energy.”
In January 2026, just weeks before his demise, he shared a birthday tribute to his daughter Annabel and his father, which became his final Instagram post.
“You are marvels,” he wrote. “The world is a better place because the two of you are in it.”
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Following his passing, a GoFundMe was launched to support his wife, Kimberly, and their children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah, citing financial strain.
The fundraiser surpassed its initial $500,000 goal within hours and has now exceeded $1 million.
“Sending love and condolences to those affected by this loss,” wrote one netizen
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