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James Van Der Beek backed out of a “Dawson’s Creek” reunion due to health issues.
Van Der Beek, who starred as Dawson Leery in the hit series, was set to read the pilot along with the original cast for a charity event on Sept. 22. However, he revealed he was “gutted” to not attend after after contracting two stomach viruses. The actor’s illness comes as he continues to battle cancer.
“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January…,” he wrote on Instagram.
“So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment,” he explained. “Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there. I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.”
JAMES VAN DER BEEK MISTOOK CANCER SYMPTOMS FOR PROBLEMS WITH HIS DIET
Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes starred together in “Dawson’s Creek.” (Getty Images)
Van Der Beek revealed he would be replaced by Lin-Manuel Miranda for the reunion.
He called Miranda “a ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available).”
“Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of ‘Dawson’, usually played by James Van Der Beek… Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
“Can’t believe I just got to type that.”
James Van Der Beek backed out of a charity reunion event due to illness. (Warner Bros.)
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James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. (FX)
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023. The actor didn’t publicly reveal his cancer battle until roughly a year later. He recently opened up about his diagnosis in an interview with Healthline, saying “there wasn’t any red flag or something glaring” when it came to his symptoms.
“I was healthy. I was doing the cold plunge,” Van Der Beek told the outlet. “I was in amazing cardiovascular shape, and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea.”
The “Varsity Blues” star, now 48, said he didn’t realize he was past the age to begin screenings.
“Before my diagnosis, I didn’t know much about colorectal cancer,” he explained. “I didn’t even realize the screening age [had] dropped to 45; I thought it was still 50.”
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James Van Der Beek shares six children with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Hulu)
After competing as Griffin on “The Masked Singer,” Van Der Beek explained he’s now in a “healing phase.”
“I feel like I can see the finish line… I’m in a healing phase, which is great,” he told Extra in March.
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