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James Van Der Beek <\/strong>announced that he will miss a Dawson’s Creek <\/em>reunion that is set to benefit F Cancer and himself amid his own battle with cancer.<\/p>\n “This is the evening I\u2019d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams<\/strong> said she was putting it together, way back in January \u2026 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,” Van Der Beek, 48, wrote via Instagram<\/a> on Sunday, September 21. “Despite every effort \u2026 I won\u2019t get to be there. I won\u2019t 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.”<\/p>\n Despite not being able to attend the event, Van Der Beek shared that he found an understudy to take his place. “A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he\u2019d be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me \u2026 Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that\u2019s convenient,” he wrote. “The role of ‘Dawson’, usually played by James Van Der Beek \u2026 Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n After Van Der Beek said he “can\u2019t believe I just got to type that,” he continued, “Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin.”<\/p>\n “And thank you @lin_manuel . You were a hero to my kids before \u2026 now you\u2019re a demigod,” he concluded in the post.<\/p>\n The Dawson’s Creek<\/em> reunion is scheduled to take place on September 22 and will feature a live reading of the show\u2019s 1998 pilot episode at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City.<\/p>\n Parade Daily\ud83c\udfac\u00a0<\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to Williams, 45, original stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe<\/strong> and Busy Philipps<\/strong> are set to attend. Philipps, 46, Smith, 53, and Monroe, 55, all joined the show after the first season, so they will participate by reading different roles from the pilot episode. Meanwhile, Ren\u00e9e Elise Goldsberry <\/strong>will serve as the event’s narrator.<\/p>\n Williams came up with the idea for the fundraiser after Van Der Beek announced he was diagnosed<\/a> with cancer in November 2024.<\/p>\n In addition to the reading<\/a>, the event will feature an auction with items cast members and producers donated. Additionally, the cast will be posing for photo ops with fans that cost $650 per photo.<\/p>\n Van Der Beek stars as the titular character on Dawson’s Creek<\/em> from 1998 until 2003<\/a>. The event will mark the first time the cast has all been back together since the series finale.<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n