Joshua Jackson Opens Up About 'Tragedy' Of James Van Der Beek's Death — Watch
It's been a month since "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek passed away, and his co-star Joshua Jackson is still processing the loss.
Jackson made his first public comments about Van Der Beek's death during an interview with NBC's "Today" on Tuesday, and he admitted that the loss of his friend still feels fresh: "For me, as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague. So I think the processing is ongoing."
Jackson and Van Der Beek "shared this amazing time" together on "Dawson's Creek," he added. "It was formational for us. I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness. But I will also say that I know that I'm really just a footnote in what he actually accomplished in his life. He became what we used to just call a good man: a man of the kind of belief, the kind of faith that allowed him to face the impossible with grace."
Jackson also called Van Der Beek "an unbelievable partner and husband, just a real man who showed up for his family and a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father." (Watch his full "Today" interview about Van Der Beek above.)
Van Der Beek died in February at age 48
James Van Der Beek passed away last month at just 48 years old following a battle with colorectal cancer, which he revealed in November 2024. He was best known to TV fans as Dawson Leery, the aspiring filmmaker at the center of The WB's teen soap "Dawson's Creek," which ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. Katie Holmes co-starred as Joey, with Joshua Jackson as Pacey and Michelle Williams as Jen.
Following the news of Van Der Beek's passing, Holmes shared a hand-written letter on Instagram paying tribute to her co-star: "James, thank you. To share a space with your imagination is sacred — breathing the same air in the land of make believe and trusting that each other's hearts are safe in their expression... these are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs — adventures of a unique youth."
Williams added that she's been "thinking about" Van Der Beek and "his family constantly" since his death when asked about him at the Actor Awards earlier this month. Other co-stars like Krysten Ritter, Busy Philipps, and his TV mom Mary-Margaret Humes also posted tributes to Van Der Beek, which you can read here.