James Van Der Beek grew up in Cheshire, Connecticut, and as a teen, took an interest in acting. His mom took him to NYC to get an agent when he was 15, and he made his off Broadway debut a year later. In 1997, James got his big break when he was cast as the lead in the pilot for Dawson’s Creek, playing Dawson Leery. The show debuted on the WB network in 1998 and made him an instant hearthrob.
James also starred in the teen football film Varsity Blues in 1999 and was later named to People‘s 50 Most Beautiful list. He eventually appeared on Dancing With the Stars for a memorable time on the competition series. James married Kimberly Brook on August 1, 2010, and the couple went on to have six children. Throughout James’ cancer battle, his family has been by his side.
Scroll through our gallery below to see pics of James over the years.
