James Van Der Beek made an unexpected virtual appearance at the Dawson’s Creek reunion charity event on Monday, September 22, after previously cancelling his in-person participation due to illness.
The 48-year-old actor, who revealed in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, had announced the day prior that he was forced to withdraw from the live reading of the WB drama’s pilot episode after contracting “two stomach viruses.” The charity event, held at New York City’s Richard Rodgers Theatre, was organised to raise funds for F Cancer and to support Van Der Beek.
Although absent physically, Van Der Beek appeared on screen in a pre-recorded video projected on stage, thanking fans and introducing his replacement, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I can’t believe I’m not there. I can’t believe I don’t get to see my cast mates, my beautiful cast in person,” Van Der Beek said. He added that his children would likely consider Miranda an “upgrade.”
Una delle tante riprese del pubblico, che mostra il video di ringraziamento che James Van Der Beek ha registrato per la Reunion di DAWSON'S CREEK, dopo aver dovuto dare forfait all'evento per motivi di salute.#DawsonsCreek #DawsonsCreekReunion https://t.co/RjIHGA5uPJ pic.twitter.com/3xcega4jGy
— Il Nerdastro (@Il_Nerdastro) September 23, 2025
The evening saw the reunion of cast members Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Busy Philipps, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta and Mary Beth Peil, who performed a live reading of the show’s 1998 pilot. Directed by Jason Moore and produced by Carl Ogawa, Williams, Thomas Kail, Maggie Brohn, Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti, the one-night-only event was narrated by Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, attended with their children, who joined the cast on stage to sing Paula Cole’s theme song “I Don’t Want to Wait.” Later, his daughters performed solo verses before the rest of the family appeared. The night also featured a surprise video message from director Steven Spielberg, long referenced in the series, who quipped: “Maybe someday, I will get to have a Dawson’s closet.”
The “Dawson’s Creek” cast and James Van Der Beek’s children sing “I Don’t Wanna Wait.” pic.twitter.com/Edkgsa0UeF
— Variety (@Variety) September 23, 2025
Reflecting on his cancer journey, Van Der Beek previously told People: “Miracles do happen — and they happen all the time. It’s scary at the onset. It’s overwhelming. Go easy on yourself. You got this.”
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