James Van Der Beek became a '90s heartthrob in Dawson's Creek – but his legacy extends far beyond that

In the days following James Van Der Beek's tragic death, Dawson's Creek has obviously come up a lot. It's no exaggeration to say that the '90s teen drama changed TV as we know it. I could fill a page or more with the names of every series that wouldn't exist today if Dawson's Creek hadn't come first.

The stars aligned in many ways to make this happen, but writing aside, it was the cast who propelled the show to the heights it reached across its six season run. It's no surprise, after all, that so many cast members went on to find even greater success after, including Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams.

But there would be no Creek without Dawson, and there would have been no Dawson without Van Der Beek.

After landing the role of a lifetime at just 20, Van Der Beek achieved immortal heartthrob status as one third of the love triangle that still has fans arguing between Team Dawson and Team Pacey to this day.

That barely scratches the surface of just how much drama took hold of this small town over the years. The Creek was practically overrun with talky teens who intensely dissected every feeling, every moment, in the way that only teenagers can.

Looking back at Dawson in particular, it's easy to focus on the melodrama and all the memes that came of it (or 'Vandermemes', as Van Der Beek himself named them). What that fails to recognise, however, is the wit and heart Van Der Beek brought to the role. Whether Dawson was helplessly romantic for Pacey or mourning the death of his father in season 5's standout The Last Goodbye, there was a serious talent under all that boyish charm.

When you grow famous overnight, there's always a risk that you'll only be remembered for the role that got you there. But Dawson isn't the only character who fans have been celebrating in the days that followed Van Der Beek's passing.

Many of the roles that followed smartly sent up his squeaky clean image from Dawson's Creek, twisting the boy next door into something infinitely more complex. Early on, Van der Beek stood out as the lead in 2003 indie The Rules of Attraction where he played Sean Bateman, the younger brother of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman. This came as quite a surprise to fans of the Creek, but subsequent performances proved this wasn't a one-off motivated by shock value alone.

Memorable roles in Robot Chicken and the Jay & Silent Bob Reboot took Van Der Beek further down this path, as did the capitalist monster he played in season 1 of Ryan Murphy and Steven Canal's Pose. MTV lovers will also remember the time Kesha enlisted Van Der Beek to appear opposite her in the music video for Blow, where the singer calls him "James Van Der Douche" to his face.

"I don’t appreciate you slander-Beeking my name, Ke-dollar-sign-ha,” Van Der Beek replied before they share a laser gun face off which ends with his head mounted on Kesha’s wall.

Van Der Beek never took himself too seriously – even when the rest of the world did.

That was key to the success of arguably his greatest role, when James Van Der Beek played James Van Der Beek in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. Or at least, a fictionalised exaggerated version of himself.

This version of Van Der Beek was a bit of a douche, but that was the whole point. Opposite Krysten Ritter's Chloe, Van Der Beek toyed with the absurdity of celebrity through the lens of someone who remains synonymous with one character to this day. The result was wickedly fun, helping to elevate this humble sitcom into one of the all-time greats (for the few people who actually saw it when it first ran in the early 2010s).

Van Der Beek wasn't just in on the joke. He actively tapped into his own perspective and humour to make the role his own beyond just how others might perceive him.

Speaking with Buzzfeed at the time, Van Der Beek revealed that this exact kind of humour helped keep him sane during the heyday of Dawson's Creek:

"These are the kinds of jokes I would make to friends of mine, privately. When you suddenly become famous at 20 [years old], it doesn't make sense on any logical level. I was always the guy [that] if we ever didn't get a table at a restaurant, I would turn to my friends and say, "Does she have any idea who I think I am?"

A running gag in the series was that the rest of the Dawson's Creek cast hated him, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Among the many celebrity tributes shared following his passing, one written by former co-star Katie Holmes was especially moving and tapped precisely into what made Van Der Beek so special.

"To share space with your imagination is sacred," wrote Holmes. "Breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression."

And what a gift it has been for all of us to "share space" with his imagination too. There was skill and talent, of course, whether Van Der Beek was asked to cry Dawson's tears or make us laugh as Fake James in Apartment 23. But there was always an intelligence to everything he did that was often overlooked at the time yet shone through more than ever since his cancer diagnosis was made public.

Van Der Beek helped change the face of TV, yes, but it's his eternal optimism and devotion to others that people will surely remember most if the overwhelming wave of tributes that have been shared this week are anything to go by.

Both on and off screen, that legacy will endure just as brightly now as it did when Dawson Leery first showed up as an aspiring filmmaker all those many years ago.