James Van Der Beek is known for his roles in the six-season teen drama “Dawson’s Creek,” which aired from 1998 to 2003, the 1999 movie “Varsity Blues” and the 2012 sitcom “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23.”
The actor died Feb. 11 at age 48 of complications from stage 3 colorectal cancer. He was diagnosed in 2023 and told the public the following year.
The actor’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, announced his death in an Instagram post.
For those looking to honor Van Der Beek’s memory by revisiting some of his best roles, there were several adapted from books. One of the most popular adaptations he starred in was the 2002 film “The Rules of Attraction.” The movie, which also starred Ian Somerhalder and Jessica Biel, was based on the 1987 book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Van Der Beek starred as drug dealer and college student Sean Bateman (the younger brother of Patrick Bateman from Ellis’ 1991 novel “American Psycho,” which was adapted into a 2000 film.)
In 2011, Van Der Beek starred as a private school teacher Jack St. Bride in the TV movie “Salem Falls.” The film aired on Lifetime and was based on Jodi Picoult’s 2001 novel of the same name.
Van Der Beek starred as Officer Treadwell in 2013’s “Labor Day” which was based on Joyce Maynard’s 2009 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Jason Reitman and starred Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.
The actor also starred in the animated TV series adaptation “Vampirina,” based on the “Vampirina Ballerina” book series by Anne Marie Pace, which was first published in 2013. It aired from 2017 to 2021. Van Der Beek starred alongside Lauren Graham as Vampira “Vee” Hauntley’s parents, Boris and Oxana Hauntley. The characters move from Transylvania to Pennsylvania to open a Scare B&B.
An episode of “Dawson’s Creek” titled “Two Gentlemen of Capeside” aired in Season 4. Although it wasn’t adapted from William Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” it did reference the play.
About the writer
S. Lynn Bonanno is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. A true Gen-Xer, Bonanno was a huge fan of “Dawson’s Creek” and still owns every season on DVD. She is also a big Bret Easton Ellis fan and has read “The Rules of Attraction” twice and thought the adaptation was so-so.
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