Sarah Toce
Hollywood is mourning another actor gone much too soon – Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek. The 48-year-old Varsity Blues star battled colorectal cancer and was strikingly public about the disease’s progression over the past few years.
A staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, Van Der Beek portrayed Matt Bromley in the first season of the groundbreaking FX series Pose. In an interview with the BUILD Series, Van Der Beek said he was “so proud” to be a part of the show and became “weirdly emotional” whenever talking about it because “this is a community that has been marginalized since [it’s existence].”
While Van Der Beek admitted he didn’t know “much about” the ball community before Pose, he knew show creator Ryan Murphy would “do it right” and that he needed to be involved. Indeed. Casting on the show included transgender actors and crew members. “He really wanted to make sure that this was real and authentic right down to its core,” the star said about Murphy. He was even invited to his first ball, but declined the “badge of honor” to tend to the birth of his child.
In addition to Pose, Van Der Beek had starring roles in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and The Rules of Attraction. The Connecticut native’s love for the stage offered him a new avenue in the off-Broadway play “Rain Dance” and, later in his career, the competition shows Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer. He also provided voice talent for the Disney animated series Vampirina.
Van Der Beek garnered recurring roles in the popular TV series How I Met Your Mother and One Tree Hill before taking a self-referential role in Don’t Trust the B-in Apartment 23. In the show, he played a fictionalized version of himself who struggled with ongoing typecasting while trying to revitalize his career. Fans were able to watch him shine as well in CSI: Cyber.
Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children – Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah. The family has established a GoFundMe campaign to help with living expenses and other necessities. At the time of this publication, more than $1.5 million had been raised. Of note, Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw donated $25,000 and actress Zoe Saldaña set up a recurring monthly payment of $2,500.
