James Van Der Beek It has been reported that he was writing a memoir before his death at the age of 48.
Sources told Deadline on Wednesday, February 11, that Dawson’s Creek Alum was quietly writing a book amid his long battle with cancer. His work on the memoir took place in between the production of his final papers, some of which have not yet been published.
Details about the book, including how far it went and any possible posthumous release date, have yet to be announced.
It was announced on Wednesday that Van Der Beek had died years after being diagnosed stage III colorectal cancer. The actor announced in November 2024 that he had received the diagnosis in August 2023.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He met his last days with courage, faith and grace,” in a statement. announcing his deathshared via Instagram, read Wednesday. “There is so much to share about his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. We now ask for peaceful privacy as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Months before his death it was announced that Van Der Beek would join the cast of Prime Video’s she, which will be released this summer. He appears as Dean Wilson, school superintendent and mayoral candidate.
The show, a prequel to the 2001 film Legally Blondeis established in follows a young Elle Woods (interpreted by Lexi Minetree but originated by Reese Witherspoon) as a high school student.
“We learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde movie,” reads the show’s synopsis. “In other words, get ready for the teenage years of this legendary lawyer’s story.”
Van Der Beek previously worked with Prime Video on Season 1 of Benito Skinner‘s overcompensatewhich premiered in May 2025. The streaming service released a statement following Van Der Beek’s death.
“James Van Der Beek began his career as a beloved teen icon, and audiences have connected with his breadth and depth of work ever since. He was a husband, a father, a consummate professional and, most recently, a vocal advocate for cancer awareness,” they shared Tuesday. “We are proud to have worked with him as a creative partner on Overcompensating and the upcoming Elle, where his gift for comedy led to memorable performances. We are deeply saddened by his passing and send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and his many fans.”
Van Der Beek will also appear The Doorsan upcoming thriller that will be released on Friday, March 13. The director of the film, John Burrshared a statement with Deadline following the actor’s death.
James Van Der Beek was candid about his battle with colorectal cancer before his death in 2026. “Every year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the Dawson’s Creek alum shared in an Instagram post at the time, noting that he was “in a good place and feeling (…)
Burr sent “sympathy and love” to James’ family, including his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and six children, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.
“Thank you for giving us the precious time we had with him,” Burr said. “We were incredibly fortunate to have worked with him on this film. He brought experience and perspective to the role, and built deep relationships with his cast mates and crew.”
The director’s statement continued: “While he was deeply committed to his performance as our story’s flawed and amoral antagonist, between scenes he effortlessly transformed into the down-to-earth, charming conversationalist at his core.”
Burr recalled texts he shared with James before the actor’s death.
“His words were full of energy and punctuated with exclamation marks, even though his health must have been declining,” he wrote.