James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)originally appeared onParade. James Van Der Beekhas entered a new act in his life—one ushered in by his cancer diagnosis. When theDawson's Creekstar moved to Texas during the pandemic and found himself surrounded by nature and with his children, he thought, "Man, this is life. What do I need acting for?" "I really let go of any attachments that I had to what it means to be an actor, or what my own version of success is or felt like or needs to be. And I just really felt like, 'Oh, I could walk away from this,'" Van Der Beek, 48, recalled in an exclusive interview withParade. "And then when I got cancer and I looked around at the world and where my place is in it and wanting to stay in it, I realized I love to tell stories. I really am so grateful for this opportunity to write and to act." "I joked that I'm the only guy who got cancer and said, 'You know what I've realized is I need to work more,'" he added. Van Der Beek, whowas diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023, feels he's gained not just a newfound appreciation for life. "And so I'm really looking forward to this next act," he said. As for what this new act might look like? "I think it's going to be a combination of things that I write and create and things that I'm just lucky enough to step into and join," Van Der Beek explained. "I would imagine there's got to be some comedy in there and hopefully some singing and dancing, too." Related:See the Cast of 'Dawson's Creek' Then and Now The Masked Singeralum admittedly "really, really, really" wants to do a musical one day, but for now has been busy with projects like theSidelinedsequel andElle. Months after revealing his cancer diagnosis, Van Der Beekjoined the cast of theLegally Blondeprequel series,Elle. "It was such a gift to get to do such a cool, high-profile project. That [Elle] andOvercompensating, which I got to do," Van Der Beek said. "Both were relatively small time commitments, which allowed me to stay with my family, but then I also get to go to set with these genius people and make something really fun." View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) The actor's wifeKimberly Van Der Beekand their six kids—Olivia,Joshua,Annabel,Emilia,GwendolynandJeremiah—"are the center" of his life. Aug. 1, 2025 marked the couple's 15th wedding anniversary. ForThe Rules of Attractionactor, those 15 years have taught him how important it is to evolve together. "I think there was maybe a part of me before that was like, 'Okay, I'm gonna go grow or build or deal with this thing here, and then come back and I'll be perfect. Look at this.' And what I realized is just how marriage, it's a team sport," Van Der Beek said with a laugh. "If your spouse is attending a class or reading a book, or they've read some self-help book or whatever, and they're putting everything through that lens. Read that book. Read that book. Know what they're doing and participate in it and share your own process as well. Because there's who you were before you got married, there's who you are when you get married, and then there's who you're meant to become, and this other person is there to help you discover that." When it comes to their long-lasting marriage, the Hollywood star takes it day-by-day and tries to show up the best he possibly can, but remarked that "probably the secret" is "I married the right person, really." By his own admission, Van Der Beek's cancer diagnosis has strengthened his and Kimberly's relationship. "I'm more in love than ever, and more in awe of her than ever, and how she's able to handle everything that I had to drop when I got diagnosed, and everything that she does, and just what it is to be that loved by somebody," Van Der Beek gushed. "It's really been an absolute gift." View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) The actor's children have also been a source of strength and motivation amid his cancer journey—and their hugs are "the most healing thing" Van Der Beek "could possibly get." The dad of six said, "I really feel like that's the best medicine, to be around all that love and just to see their support and to show them. You can talk about resilience. And I try really, really as best I can to teach resilience in my kids. But I think the best thing I could do is show them resilience." Related:James Van Der Beek Opens Up About How His Kids Are Handling His Cancer Diagnosis Since being diagnosed with cancer, Van Der Beek has come to discover the depth of his own resilience and strength. "In the beginning, one of the things I kept saying was, 'Man, I know this sounds stupid, but this is harder than I thought it would be,' and having been through this crazy journey, what I'm realizing is just how strong I am," he shared. Van Der Beek's also recognized the importance of asking for help, "no matter how strong you are." He said, "I don't know how anybody does this alone. And I was blessed with this amazing group of friends and family who had all been wanting to show up for me, but me trying to be Superman wouldn't let them. And so I was robbing them of a chance to show me how much they cared. That's really been a game changer, is just 'Oh I can be the guy who also asks for help when he needs it.'" To help raise awareness about colorectal cancer screenings, Van Der Beek has teamed up withGuardant Health. "One of the things I really want to get across to people is that you don't need symptoms to start getting screened. Put it on your radar, talk to your doctor," he advised. "At the time that I got diagnosed, I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was doing sauna, cold plunge, working out, all the things and I had full-blown stage three cancer and didn't know it." While colorectal cancer is the "second deadliest cancer," Van Der Beek pointed out that it is "also the most treatable when you catch it early." TheVarsity Bluesstar stressed, "That's why it's so crucial, and that's why I'm so happy to team up withShield by Guardantto get the word out there. What they offer is a really convenient, pleasant screening option because it's just a simple blood draw that you could do at your next doctor's appointment." Van der Beek himself had a "couple of symptoms" that prompted him to go in for his screening, but "nothing like [a] big flashing red flag." After privately navigating his diagnosis for a period of time, theSidelined: The QB and Meactorpublicly opened up about his healthin November of 2024. "Fortunately, I have an amazing inner circle, and my community, the Greater Austin medical community was amazing, and nobody leaked it for a year. And so I was given the time and the grace to handle it privately for quite some time," he said. Van Der Beek's diagnosis has continued to be a process with many chapters. "I think at first there was shock, and then there was 'All right, how am I going to make this the best thing that ever happened to me?' And then you ride that enthusiasm for a little while, and then reality kicks in and then you get tired and you get scared, and then you really start to look at your own mortality," he shared. "And then eventually, where I came to was recognizing that 'Oh wow. Even with cancer and not able to do the things that I want to do, like be the father I want to be, be the husband I want to be, even if I'm just sick in bed, I'm still worthy of love' and that's a really important thing to know and an important thing to share with everybody because we all are, and I think that's one thing that I had missed in my life in just how busy and how dedicated and how ambitious I was because I had such an oddly transactional relationship with self-love." Van Der Beek noted, "I look at it and say, 'Well, maybe that's the whole reason I'm going through this is to learn that lesson of, you know, the thing of like put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others.' You gotta love yourself before you can help anybody else." Next,James Van Der Beek Is One Busy Dad: Inside the 'Dawson's Creek' Actor's Life With Six Kids James Van Der Beek Says Cancer Reignited His Passion for Acting and He's 'More in Love Than Ever' With Wife Kimberly (Exclusive)first appeared on Parade on Aug 1, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
