James Van Der Beek is best known for playing the titular character in ‘Dawson’s Creek.’ See photos of him from then to now here.
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.
James Van Der Beek at the 2025 ‘Overcompensating’ premiere
James Van Der Beek’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ promo pic
Kimberly Brook and James Van Der Beek at the ‘Skin’ Film Premiere
James Van Der Beek at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards
James Van Der Beek & Wife Kimberly at the 12th Annual Los Angeles Ballet Gala
James Van Der Beek and wife kimberly at the ‘Pose’ TV show premiere
James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly Brook at Dinner for Equality
James Van Der Beek attends the ‘Standing Still’ premiere
The cast of the movie ‘Varsity Blues’
The cast of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in 1998
