Joshua Jackson Says ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Cast Rallied Around James Van Der Beek Amid Cancer Battle

Joshua Jackson shared on an April 22 episode of “Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson” that the cast of “Dawson’s Creek” showed love for James Van Der Beek after he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

“James is going through something really, truly terrible right now, and I wish I could take credit for this, but I was kind of the absentee partner here,” he told the “Modern Family” star.

Jackson continued, “But the girls all got together and were like, ‘We need to do something to help this guy out.'”

Jackson explained that “Dawson’s Creek” stars Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams have a close friendship, while he and Katie Holmes are tight.

He continued, “But whether we’re — and I’m pretty sure it’s the same with your cast — it’s not a daily call. Sometimes it’s not a weekly or monthly or even a half-yearly call, but when you’re together, there’s always that, ‘I know, you know.'”

“Other than your husband, there’s probably no other person in your life that you’re that forged to because you had to go through good and bad,” Jackson told Tyler Ferguson.

Van Der Beek Opened Up About His Cancer Diagnosis in 2024

Van Der Beek first revealed he had colorectal cancer on November 3, 2024, in an Instagram post. “Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” he wrote.

The “Varsity Blues” star continued, “I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”

He added, “Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline…”

A few days later, in a November 2024 interview with People, Van Der Beek shared, “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”

Despite the diagnosis, he remained hopeful and told the publication, “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

Van Der Beek Still Has Love for His ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Castmates

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“Dawson’s Creek” ended decades ago, but the cast remains tight even after years of not seeing each other.

“We all went our separate ways and, you know, just didn’t speak for years because we’re just living our lives and doing our things. And to just reconnect and be like, ‘Oh, wow. I love who you’ve become,'” Van Der Beek said on “Whine Down with Jana Kramer.”

He added of his time on the teen drama, “I have such a nostalgia for it. I don’t know whether it’s just time or what, but yeah.”