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James Van Der Beek, whom audiences first met as the young, floppy-haired lead in the melodrama \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek,\u201d died Wednesday at 48.<\/a> The actor\u2019s co-stars and collaborators paid tribute to the actor. <\/p>\n Van Der Beek\u2019s wife, Kimberly, announced the news in an Instagram post<\/a> and asked for \u201cpeaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come,\u201d the statement read. <\/p>\n The actor battled colorectal cancer<\/a>, a condition he revealed in November 2024. Van Der Beek\u2019s friends organized a GoFundMe<\/a> campaign, which had collected almost $340,000 of its $550,000 goal as of early Wednesday afternoon. <\/p>\n Van Der Beek\u2019s wife and their six children \u201care facing an uncertain future\u201d following the actor\u2019s death, the GoFundMe page reads. The cost of Van Der Beek\u2019s medical care \u201cleft the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home.\u201d<\/p>\n Droves of celebrities paid tribute to the \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d star in the comments section of the post, including Chad Michael Murray, who appeared alongside Van Der Beek in \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d and later \u201cOne Tree Hill.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cJames was a giant,\u201d Murray wrote.<\/a> \u201cWe\u2019re so so so sorry for what you\u2019re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us \u2014 he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.\u201d <\/p>\n Kerr Smith, who starred alongside Van Der Beek in \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek,\u201d also paid tribute to the actor. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for being able to call James a brother. I\u2019ll miss him deeply. Rest easy,\u201d Smith wrote<\/a> in a comment under an Instagram post announcing his death. <\/p>\n Stacy Keibler, a retired wrestler and cheerleader, got to spend Van Der Beek\u2019s final days with him, which she described<\/a> as \u201ca true gift from God.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn these past days, you taught me more about being present than any book ever could,\u201d Keibler wrote in a touching tribute on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cYou showed me what it looks like to trust God\u2019s plan, even when it breaks your heart. Especially when it breaks your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the cancer diagnosis and traveling \u201cthe world battling so much…that smile never left you,\u201d Keibler wrote. <\/p>\n Austin Nichols, who also starred in \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d and had a background role in \u201cVarsity Blues,\u201d paid tribute to Van Der Beek in an Instagram post.<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cJames represented something to aspire to,\u201d Nichols wrote. \u201cAs a friend, husband and father, I know he was even more powerful and inspiring. You will be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n Emma Slater, a professional dancer on \u201cDancing With the Stars\u201d who was partnered with Van Der Beek for Season 28, expressed devastation over the actor\u2019s death, adding that \u201che is and will always be family to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLove you so much James,\u201d Slater wrote. \u201cThe man that you are, you can be proud of. So grateful that I got to be there to say goodbye to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Roger Avary, who directed \u201cThe Rules of Attraction,\u201d a 2002 film that Van Der Beek starred in, wrote on X<\/a> that the actor was \u201ca pillar of strength to me and my family during the hardest of times.\u201d <\/p>\n The pair had recently had \u201ca very philosophical and existential phone conversation, Avary wrote. <\/p>\n \u201cI have never known anyone else quite like him, and rarely felt so close a working connection, and my heart is broken at the loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children,\u201d Avary wrote. \u201cGod bless you, James. I love you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Other stars across entertainment, including \u201cModern Family\u201d star Eric Stonestreet, \u201cTeen Wolf\u201d actor Tyler Posey and \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy\u201d actor Kate Walsh all shared their condolences in the comments section of the family\u2019s Instagram announcement. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sad for your beautiful family. While James legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F\u2014 Cancer,\u201d Sarah Michelle Gellar, widely known for her lead role in \u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer,\u201d another seminal late-\u201990s WB high school drama, wrote in the comments section<\/a> of the post announcing his death. <\/p>\n Joseph Kahn, who co-wrote with Van Der Beek \u201cPower\/Rangers,\u201d a superhero fan short film based on the Power Rangers franchise, shared a tribute to the actor on X.<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a shot in here where he lifts his boot on the table and the camera spins with him. He smiled approvingly when I blocked it and played to the camera. He knew,\u201d Kahn wrote. \u201cHe gave me his time and support graciously. Thank you James.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRest in Peace dear James Van Der Beek,\u201d Marlee Matlin wrote on X. The two never worked on a project together, but both separately guest starred on \u201cLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit\u201d and were part of a panel for the Paley Center for Media honoring the show in 2020. <\/p>\n Actor Paul Walter Hauser shared a picture of the amount of money he had helped raise for Van Der Beek\u2019s cancer treatment in an Instagram post.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re in Heaven being pampered with love. The Van Der Beeks will be in our daily prayers and we\u2019ll be drumming up some money to support your beautiful family,\u201d Hauser wrote. \u201cThanks for the body of work and for being one of the good guys.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a heartbreaking loss. So much love to you, Kimberly, and to your kids, as you navigate this tender time,\u201d Jennifer Garner commented in the post announcing his death. <\/p>\n Van Der Beek\u2019s last acting credit was for his role in the Tubi YA movie \u201cSidelined: The QB and Me,\u201d and its sequel, which came out last year. The actor played Leroy Lahey, the father of the movie\u2019s protagonist, Drayton, played by Noah Beck.<\/p>\n