Remembering James Van Der Beek’s LGBTQ+ allyship: ‘How is two gay people getting married a threat?’
James Van Der Beek will be remembered for his iconic roles and support for LGBTQ+ people. (Getty)
Dawson’s Creek actor and staunch LGBTQ+ ally James Van Der Beek has died, two-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He was 48.
In a statement shared on the actor’s social media pages, Van Der Beek’s family said that he “passed peacefully” on the morning of 11 February.
“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” they wrote.
A GoFundMe set up in the hours following his death has at the time of writing surpassed $1.2 million raised. The funds will be used to support Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and his six children to recuperate funds lost while paying for Van Der Beek’s medical care.
The actor, who became a global household name with his role as Dawson Leery on The WB’s teen drama Dawson’s Creek in the late 1990s, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in August 2023, but didn’t disclose his illness publicly until November 2024.
In addition to starring in Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek was known for his roles in coming-of-age comedy movie Varsity Blues and ABC sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.
In 2018, the actor teamed up with gay TV producer Ryan Murphy for a stint in the first season of Pose, which made history for having the largest cast of transgender women on a single TV series. Van Der Beek played Matt Bromley, the lecherous co-worker to Evan Peters’ Stan.
His last TV appearance prior to his death was in queer college comedy Overcompensating, created by Benito Skinner.
Among the LGBTQ+ community, Van Der Beek was celebrated for his allyship, having spoken out in support of gay marriage prior to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which legalised same-sex marriage.
In a Facebook post, shared in 2013, the actor wrote: “I’m confused… how is two gay people getting married a threat to my marriage? Am I doing it wrong?”
Two years later, he teamed up with queer icon and Pitch Perfect star Anna Camp for a comedy sketch on Funny or Die, during which he mocked Indiana’s recently-passed Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which protected the right for business owners to refuse service to gay people.
He played a closeted telesales TV host who refused to sell any products, because all of his callers were queer.
In 2018, after Ryan Murphy was awarded the Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special accolade at the Emmy Awards for his show The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Van Der Beek shared a sweet post celebrating his win.
“This is a man who was once made fun of for the way he talked, for being too ‘gay’, too weird,” he wrote, alongside a photo of Murphy with his Emmy.
“He could have gotten bitter. Instead he got better and better, built an empire, and now he uses his power to give people who have been marginalized a voice, an opportunity, a job – HALF of the people he hires are women, minorities, or people of color. That’s been his policy.”
The actor was also cast to star in Todd Solondz’s 2001 film Storytelling, in which he played a closeted college football star who featured in an explicit gay scene. However, Van Der Beek’s scenes were reportedly left on the cutting room floor.
(Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Following his death, the star’s family have been inundated with tributes from fans and titans across the entertainment industry.
“I’m so sad for your beautiful family,” wrote Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar. “While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F*** Cancer.”
“Sending love and light to your beautiful family. James was a giant,” added One Tree Hill actor Chad Michael Murray. “We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us- he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.”
“Could not have been a more lovely, kind, and talented man,” wrote Overcompensating star Benito Skinner. “In-between takes he would show photos of his sweet family. King forever.”
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