James Van Der Beek‘s death struck a chord across Hollywood after his family announced his passing on February 11, 2026. Former co-stars, friends and other industry peers paid tribute to the late Varsity Blues star, who battled colorectal cancer in his final years.
Read the tributes for James from his former co-stars, friends and other peers.
Katie, James’ former Dawson’s Creek co-star, shared a heartfelt handwritten note to her Instagram, thanking James for the memories they shared.
“James, thank you,” Katie wrote. “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. These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs—adventures of a unique youth. … An appreciation for life with the integrity that life is art—creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children, the journey of a hero. I mourn this loss with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it.”
Busy, who also worked with James on Dawson’s Creek, wrote in her tribute, “My heart is deeply hurting for all of us today…every person who knew James and loved him, anyone who loved his work or had the pleasure of meeting him, all of his dear friends and community that surrounded him as he battled this illness, especially his parents and brother and sister. But I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife, Kimberly, and their six magical children.”
