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Katie Holmes<\/a> has penned a heartfelt tribute to her Dawson’s Creek<\/em><\/a> costar James Van Der Beek<\/a> one day after his death at age 48<\/a>.<\/p>\n After starring on six seasons of the teen drama together between 1998 and 2003, Holmes honored her friend and his life Thursday morning in an emotional Instagram<\/a> post.<\/p>\n “I formed some words with a heavy heart. This is a lot to process. I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James\u2019 journey,” Holmes, 47, wrote in the post’s caption, alongside a photo of a handwritten note she penned in honor of Van Der Beek, his wife Kimberly, and their six kids. “He is beloved. Kimberly, we love you and will be here always for you and your beautiful children.”<\/p>\n “Thank you. To share space with your imagination is sacred \u2014 breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each others\u2019 hearts are safe in their expression,” Holmes wrote in the note, adding, “These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs \u2014 adventures of a unique youth.”<\/p>\n She went on to hail Van Der Beek’s “bravery,” “compassion,” “selflessness,” and “strength,” observing that he had “an appreciation for life and the action taken to live life with the integrity that life is art \u2014 creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children.”<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0EW Dispatch newsletter<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Holmes called his journey through life, including his colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2023, “the journey of a hero.”<\/p>\n The actress finished, “I mourn this loss with a heart holding the reality of his absence and deep gratitude for his imprint on it. To Kimberly and the children, we are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion.”<\/p>\n