James Van Der Beek Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography » StarsUnfolded

Some Lesser Known Facts About James Van Der Beek

• His family roots included Dutch, German, English, Scots-Irish, and French backgrounds.

• When he was seventeen years old, in 1993, he started his acting career with an off-Broadway production.

• Soon after the show, he and the play received good reviews from critics.

• When he was seventeen years old, during his studies at Cheshire Academy, he acted in the musical Shenandoah at Goodspeed Opera House.

• The following year, James Van Der Beek had a small appearance in the indie film I Love You, I Love You Not.

• After that, he was enrolled in Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, on a school scholarship. At college, he sang in an all-male a cappella group.

• After that, James Van Der Beek acted in the play My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine by Nicky Silver, which was performed at Vineyard Theatre in downtown Manhattan.

• That same year, Van Der Beek appeared in three television shows, including Dawson’s Creek, in which he appeared in the main role of Dawson Leery.

  

  James Van Der Beek in a still from the the television show Dawson’s Creek

• In 1999, James Van Der Beek starred in the teen football film Varsity Blues, which topped the U.S. box office for its first two weeks. He won an MTV Movie Award for his performance in the film.

• He then went on to appear in several films, such as Scary Movie (2000), Texas Rangers (2001), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).

• In 2002, James Van Der Beek played the role of Sean Bateman in the film The Rules of Attraction, which flopped at the box office but later gained a fanbase on DVD.

• In 2003, ten years later, he returned to off-Broadway and performed in a play called Rain Dance by Lanford Wilson.

• In 2003, he married actress Heather McComb; however, they separated in 2009 and divorced in 2010.

  

  An old picture of James Van Der Beek with Heather McComb

• In 2006, he appeared in a thriller film, The Plague, made by Clive Barker. The film critics gave negative reviews to the film.

• That same year, James Van Der Beek appeared as a serial killer, Tobias Hankel, on the show Criminal Minds on CBS.

• In 2008, he played the role of a filmmaker who mocked his old character, Dawson Leery, in the show One Tree Hill, which aired on WB.

• That same year, for his role as FBI agent ‘Jake Kelly’ in the political thriller film Formosa Betrayed, he won Best Actor at the 8th San Diego Film Festival.
  

  James Van Der Beek on the poster of the film Formosa Betrayed

• He married business consultant Kimberly Brook on 1 August 2010, in a small ceremony at the Kabbalah Centre near Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, Israel. They had six children together.

• On 5 January 2010, a media outlet announced that Van Der Beek would appear as Dr Joe Briggs in the television series Mercy on NBC.

• In 2009, James Van Der Beek appeared in the thriller film Stolen alongside actors Rhona Mitra, Josh Lucas, and Jon Hamm.

• In 2012, he appeared in the television series Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, which aired on ABC. The show received good reviews from critics, and he was praised for his funny timing and self-mockery.

• In 2017, James Van Der Beek co-created, wrote, produced, and starred as DJ Diplo in the television series What Would Diplo Do?, which aired on Viceland with good reviews for the writing and his acting.

• After the show became a huge hit, a media outlet named L.A. Times called the show “The Veep of DJ Culture.”

• That same year, he participated in the dance reality show Dancing with the Stars Season 28 with dancer Emma Slater. During the how, he got eliminated in the semifinals, finishing fifth.

  

  James Van Der Beek while dancing in the dance reality show Dancing with the Stars Season 28, with dancer Emma Slater

• That same night, he shared in the media that his wife, Kimberly, had a miscarriage two days before. Many of his fans argued about his exit after judges gave the night’s lowest score.

• In September 2020, James Van Der Beek announced that he, along with his family, was moving from Los Angeles to Texas.

• On 22 November 2021, after their sixth child was born, he shared online that his wife had two miscarriages at 17 weeks or later.

• On 31 August 2023, Van Der Beek learned that he had colorectal cancer but kept it private until November 2024. He claimed in the media that he handled the diagnosis quietly with the help of his family.

• In 2025, he participated as Griffin in the 13th season of the television reality show The Masked Singer. In the show, his costume had wings that opened during dances.

  

  James Van Der Beek in a still from the 13th season of the television reality show The Masked Singer

• After that, he got cut in the Group B Finals on Grand Ole Opry Night. During the show, host Nick Cannon surprised him by bringing out his wife, Kimberly and kids onstage.

• In November 2025, he planned to auction Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues items for cancer treatment costs.

• On 11 February 2026, James Van Der Beek passed away at the age of 48.

• In 2026, he appeared after he died in the Legally Blonde prequel television series, Elle.

• He was an animal lover and had two pet dogs. He often shared pictures of his pets on social media.
  

  James Van Der Beek with his pet dog

• He had been featured on the covers of various noted magazines.
  

  James Van Der Beek on the cover of a magazine

• He was often spotted enjoying alcoholic beverages on various occasions.
  

  James Van Der Beek while enjoying an alcoholic beverage