James Van Der Beek has colorectal cancer, PEOPLE can confirm.
“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” the star, 47, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” Van Der Beek adds.
Colorectal cancer, per the American Cancer Society, starts in the colon or the rectum, which make up the large intestine in the digestive system.
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Despite the diagnosis, Van Der Beek has actively been working as he navigates his care.
He recently appeared on an episode of Walker and he is next set to star in Sidelined: The QB and Me, a Tubi original film out Nov. 29.
Van Der Beek has also prioritized time with his family — wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and their six kids: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.
Back in June, the group took a memorable trip to Egypt. In an Instagram post, the Varsity Blues alum shared photos of himself and his family posing with a camel, looking at the Egyptian pyramids and more.
“#Egypt… With all my vocabulary, ‘Wow’ is what fell out of my mouth most of the time. We were gifted a magical experience, one I’m still processing – and might be for the rest of my life,” Van Der Beek wrote, in part, in his caption. “The kids were rock stars, my friends became brothers, and despite all the travel and time zone crossing and early-morning alarms, I feel recharged.”
Later in December, Van Der Beek is set to appear on The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special where a group of male celebrities will strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
Alongside the star, the special will also feature fellow actor Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and longtime Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli.
The event, inspired by the Oscar-nominated 1997 film The Full Monty, will be executive produced by Anthony Anderson.
“Embarrassingly, I thought I was just doing Anthony Anderson a favor and supporting cancer. But then once we got there and we really started to talk about these issues, everyone started opening up and we got to know each other on a different level,” Diggs recently told PEOPLE of the special.
The Real Full Monty is set to premiere on Dec. 9.
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