James Van Der Beek drops out of Dawson's Creek reunion – Dawson recast with Oscar nominee
The actor was "gutted" to be missing out due to ongoing illness.
James Van Der Beek will miss a reunion event for beloved teen drama Dawson's Creek due to illness, with a huge name drafted to replace him in a read-through of the first episode.
The actor shot to fame in the hit series from Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson, which premiered in 1998, and also helped launch the careers of other well-known stars like Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.
The group will come back together tonight in New York City for a live reading of the show's pilot to raise money for the American non-profit F Cancer, which arranges early detection and prevention programs and provides resources for those affected by cancer.
Sadly, Van Der Beek himself is currently battling the illness, going public with his diagnosis of Stage 3 colorectal cancer in November 2024.
The news inspired former co-star Michelle Williams, also known for The Greatest Showman and Venom, to arrange the fundraiser, with Van Der Beek describing her as his "angel" in a heartfelt Instagram post.
"You can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment," he said of his absence at the event.
"Despite every effort… I won't get to be there. I won't get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theatre for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most."
The show will go on, however, with Van Der Beek feeling honoured to announce a high-profile "understudy", who he describes as "ridiculously overqualified" to take on the role of Dawson.
That person is none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton and In The Heights, and star of Mary Poppins Returns, His Dark Materials and Disney Plus series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
To Miranda, Van Der Beek said: "You were a hero to my kids before… now you're a demigod."
"Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin," he concluded.
Besides Dawson's Creek, Van Der Beek is known for playing an exaggerated version of himself in cult favourite sitcom Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23, plus subsequent roles in FX's Pose and Prime Video's Overcompensating.
Dawson's Creek is available to stream on ITVX.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
