NEWSJames Van Der Beek Said He Felt 'Much Better' in Final Interview Before Shocking Death at 48
James Van Der Beek said he was feeling 'much better' in a December 2025 interview before his death at age 48.
Feb. 11 2026, Published 2:55 p.m. ET
James Van Der Beek revealed he was feeling good just two months before he died from cancer on Wednesday, February 11, at age 48.
"I feel much, much better than I did a couple months ago," the Dawson's Creek alum — who announced his colorectal cancer diagnosis in late 2024 — said in an interview with Today's Craig Melvin on December 19, 2025. "It's been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be. It's required more of me — more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong. I didn't know I was this strong. But I feel good."
James Van Der Beek's Gaunt Appearance Sparked Concern Last Fall
James Van Der Beek announced his cancer diagnosis in late 2024.
Van Der Beek also said he was still getting cancer treatment at the time and "trying a bunch of stuff." He declined to share what therapies he'd undergone.
His remarks came after he sparked concern when he didn't attend a Dawson's Creek reunion in-person last fall, instead appearing virtually and looking very gaunt.
He said his absence wasn't related to cancer and that he missed the event due to being "hit with some stomach bugs," which he also attributed to his alarming weight loss.
'I Had Stage 3 Cancer and Had No Idea'
The actor said he was shocked when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Varsity Blues actor shared his shock at discovering he had cancer.
"I was so healthy, was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was doing the cold plunges, and the saunas, and the intermittent fasting and all of it," he told Melvin.
"I had Stage 3 cancer and had no idea," he spilled.
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James Van Der Beek Didn't Have Any Dramatic Symptoms
'Part of me wanted to just freak out,' he admitted of learning he had cancer.
He revealed his symptoms included a change in bowel habits and feeling that something was off, but he wasn't that concerned at the time.
The father-of-six still made an appointment for a colonoscopy, though, and recalled going "into shock" when the doctor informed him he had cancer.
"I really don't think I knew what to do. Neither did my wife. And we drove home in silence," he recounted. "And part of me wanted to panic. Part of me wanted to just freak out. But then another part of my brain was like, 'You don't know enough yet.'"
James Van Der Beek Said Cancer Was the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Him
James Van Der Beek described cancer as a gift that taught him to be present.
Van Der Beek also stated that cancer was the best thing to ever happen to him because it required him make certain lifestyle changes and live in the moment more.
"Presence, I think, is really the gift that cancer has given me," he shared.
The actor leaves behind his wife Kimberly and their six children.
