The entertainment industry has lost another icon.
Beloved âDawsonâs Creekâ star James Van Der Beek died at the age of 48 this week, following a battle with colorectal cancer.
While he first rose to fame playing an aspiring filmmaker on the â90s teen drama, he went on to star in a varied list of projects, from âDonât Trust the B in Apt. 23â to âThe Rules of Attraction.â (His last TV project was the upcoming âLegally Blondeâ prequel TV series, âElle,â which premieres in July.)
Below, honor his legacy by revisiting some of his most memorable performances.
âDawsonâs Creekâ (1998-2003)
Van Der Beek became a household name in the late â90s on âDawsonâs Creek,â playing titular character, Dawson Leery for six seasons. The show follows the lives of a close-knit group of friends and also stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Busy Philipps and more.
Stream it on: Hulu or Disney+
âVarsity Bluesâ (1999)
Following the debut of âDawsonâs Creek,â Van Der Beek landed his first major movie role in âVarsity Blues.â He played a high school back-up quarterback, Johnny Moxon, who steps up to lead the team â and contend with a toxic coach â after the original captain, Lance (Paul Walker), is injured.
Stream it on: Paramount+
âThe Rules of Attractionâ (2002)
While Van Der Beek began his career portraying small-town, all-American teenagers, he pivoted with a role as Sean Bateman, a self-described âemotional vampireâ (and the brother of âAmerican Psychoâ main character Patrick Bateman). Set in a private college in the 1980s, this intense drama also stars Ian Somerhalder, Faye Dunaway, Jessica Biel and Kate Bosworth.
Stream it on: Prime Video
âDonât Trust the Bâ in Apartment 23â (2012-2014)
Starting in 2012, Van Der Beek played a hilarious version of himself on this raunchy ABC sitcom about a Midwesterner (Dreama Walker) who moves in with big city party-girl Chloe (Krysten Ritter).
âI think once the [Dawsonâs Creek] residual money ran out is really when it became okay to make fun of it,â he quipped in an NBC interview in 2012. âThankfully, theyâve kept me around Hollywood long enough to kind of have a second coming, and itâs a lot more fun not to take myself so seriously.â
Buy it on: Prime Video
âWhat Would Diplo Do?â (2017)
The Hollywood fixture co-wrote, produced and starred in this 2017 Viceland comedy, playing a fictionalized version of DJ and songwriter Diplo (who also served as an executive producer).Â
âThe only way to do it was if he was completely game to just make fun of himself and make fun of the world, and he was,â Van Der Beek told Coup de Main magazine in 2017.
Stream it on: Tubi
Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping
This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Associate Editor for Page Six. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts celebritiesâ brands to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros â including celebs themselves â for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.
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