{photo credit Super Festivals}
Actor James Van Der Beek, Jr. has died. He passed away on February 11, 2026 after a protracted three year battle with colorectal cancer. He was born March 7, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut. He was 48.
We know Van Der Beek’s work from television and his science fiction and fantasy movie roles also stand out, though he was perhaps best known as Dawson Leery on the TV series Dawson’s Creek.
SciFi, Fantasy, & Horror Roles
From 2017 to 2021, Van Der Beek voiced Boris Hauntley in Disney’s Vampirina. He also played the role of Ethan in the short-lived 1996 series, Aliens in the Family.
Van Der Beek played Tom Russell in the horror movie The Plague (2006.)He played Dan Leland in the horror film Eye of the Beast (2005). In the scifi mini-series, The Storm, Van Der Beek starred as Dr. Jonathan Kirk.
In the 2003 English dubbed version of Studio Ghibli‘s Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), Van Der Beek voiced Pazu.
Van Der Beek appeared in the Covid DIY mini-series remake of Home Movie: The Princess Bride, as wicked Prince Humperdinck, a role he shared with Thomas Lennon.
He was Grant Madison in the black comedy/horror film Bad Hair (2020), and had an uncredited cameo in Scary Movie (2000), though he won the MTV Movie Award for Best Cameo for that performance.
Rangers (of Various Types)
In the movie Texas Rangers (2001) Van Der Beek played Ranger Lincoln Rogers Dunnison. He co-wrote and starred in the short fan film Power Rangers /unauthorized (2015), playing Red Ranger, aka Rocky De Santos.
Awards and Honors
In addition to his MTV Movie Award for Best Cameo, James Van Der Beek has won other awards. He won Best Actor at the 8th Annual San Diego Film Festival for his performance as FBI agent Jake Kelly in Formosa Betrayed (2009). In 1999 Van Der Beek won the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthough Male Performance for Jonathon Moxon in Varsity Blues. He also won the Teen Choice Award for Varsity Blues.
Personal Life
James Van Der Beek was married three times to two women. He was married to actress Heath McComb from 2003 – 2010. He then married business consultant Kimberly Brook in 2010. The two renewed their vows in 2026. James and Kimberly Van Der Beek had six children together: Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah.
We offer our comfort and our deepest condolences to the grieving family.
Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows. Her nonfiction book THEY ENDURED will be published by B Cubed Press in 2025 or 2026.
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