1977 - 2026
James Van Der Beek American Actor
347
Rest in Peace James Van Der Beek.
Passed away on 11th February, 2026 aged 48.
James Van Der Beek dating history
Relationships
James Van Der Beek was previously married to Kimberly Van Der Beek (2010 - 2026) and Heather McComb (2003 - 2010).
About
American Actor James Van Der Beek was born James David Van Der Beek, Jr. on 8th March, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, USA and passed away on 11th Feb 2026 Austin, Texas, USA aged 48. He is most remembered for his roles as Rick Sandford in the 1995 coming-of-age comedy film Angus, Dawson Leery in the WB teen drama series Dawson's Creek, Jonathan "Mox" Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film Varsity Blues, himself playing Jay in the 2001 satirical stoner buddy action comedy film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Lincoln Rogers Dunnison in the 2001 action Western film Texas Rangers, Sean Bateman in the 2002 black comedy-drama film The Rules of Attraction, Tobias Hankel in the CBS police procedural crime drama series Criminal Minds, Simon Tremblay in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Anthony Steven "Tony Zappa" Wright in the 2009 Lifetime original true crime drama television film Taken In Broad Daylight, FBI Agent Jake Kelly in the 2009 political thriller film Formosa Betrayed, Adam Reese in the WB/CW teen drama series One Tree Hill, Dr. Joe Briggs in the NBC medical drama series Mercy, a fictionalized version of himself in the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Officer Treadwell in the 2013 drama film Labor Day, FBI Senior Special Agent Elijah Mundo in the police procedural crime drama series CSI: Cyber, Boris Hauntley (voice) in the Disney Junior animated children's series Vampirina, Matt Bromley in the FX drama series Pose, Grant Madison in the 2020 Hulu original satirical black horror comedy film Bad Hair, Leroy Lahey in the 2024 Tubi original sports romantic comedy-drama film Sidelined: The QB and Me and its 2025 sequel film Sidelined 2: Intercepted, and Dean Wilson in the Amazon Prime Video original teen comedy web series Elle. His zodiac sign is Pisces.
James Van Der Beek was in 11 on-screen matchups, including Cobie Smulders in How I Met Your Mother (2005), Emma Slater in Dancing with the Stars (2005), Ali Larter in Varsity Blues (1999), Amy Smart in Varsity Blues (1999) and Bianca Kajlich in Dawson's Creek (1998).
James Van Der Beek is a member of the following lists: American film actors, American television actors and American child actors.
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Relationship Statistics
| Type | Total | Longest | Average | Shortest |
|---|
| Married | 2 |
16 years, 7 months
|
14 years, 6 months
|
12 years, 5 months
|
|---|
| Total | 2 |
16 years, 7 months
|
14 years, 6 months
|
12 years, 5 months
|
|---|
Details
| First Name |
James
|
| Middle Name |
David
|
| Last Name |
Van Der Beek Jr.
|
| Full Name at Birth |
James David Van Der Beek, Jr.
|
| Alternative Name |
James Van Derbeek, James David Van Der Beek Jr., Baby James, Beek, James David Van Der Beek, James David Van Der Beek Jr., James Van Der Beek, James William Van Der Beek
|
| Birthday |
8th March, 1977
|
| Birthplace |
Cheshire, Connecticut, USA
|
| Died |
11th February, 2026
|
| Place of Death |
Austin, Texas, USA
|
| Cause of Death |
Stage 3 colorectal cancer
|
| Buried |
Cremated. Specifically: Ashes retained by family
|
| Height |
6' 0" (183 cm)
|
| Weight |
163lbs (74 kg)
|
| Build |
Athletic
|
| Eye Color |
Blue
|
| Hair Color |
Blonde
|
| Distinctive Feature |
Deep-set eyes
|
| Zodiac Sign |
Pisces
|
| Sexuality |
Straight
|
| Religion |
Christian
|
| Ethnicity |
White
|
| Nationality |
American
|
| University |
Drew University
|
| Occupation Text |
Actor, Writer, Voice Artist
|
| Occupation |
Actor
|
| Claim to Fame |
his roles as Rick Sandford in the 1995 coming-of-age comedy film Angus, Dawson Leery in the WB teen drama series Dawson's Creek, Jonathan "Mox" Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film Varsity Blues, himself playing Jay in the 2001 satirical stoner buddy action comedy film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Lincoln Rogers Dunnison in the 2001 action Western film Texas Rangers, Sean Bateman in the 2002 black comedy-drama film The Rules of Attraction, Tobias Hankel in the CBS police procedural crime drama series Criminal Minds, Simon Tremblay in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Anthony Steven "Tony Zappa" Wright in the 2009 Lifetime original true crime drama television film Taken In Broad Daylight, FBI Agent Jake Kelly in the 2009 political thriller film Formosa Betrayed, Adam Reese in the WB/CW teen drama series One Tree Hill, Dr. Joe Briggs in the NBC medical drama series Mercy, a fictionalized version of himself in the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Officer Treadwell in the 2013 drama film Labor Day, FBI Senior Special Agent Elijah Mundo in the police procedural crime drama series CSI: Cyber, Boris Hauntley (voice) in the Disney Junior animated children's series Vampirina, Matt Bromley in the FX drama series Pose, Grant Madison in the 2020 Hulu original satirical black horror comedy film Bad Hair, Leroy Lahey in the 2024 Tubi original sports romantic comedy-drama film Sidelined: The QB and Me and its 2025 sequel film Sidelined 2: Intercepted, and Dean Wilson in the Amazon Prime Video original teen comedy web series Elle
|
| Year(s) Active |
1993–present, 1992–present, 1992–2026
|
| Talent Agency (e.g. Modelling) |
Paradigm Talent Agency
|
| Brand Endorsement |
HTC Phone
|
| Official Websites |
www.instagram.com/vanderjames/?hl=en, www.facebook.com/VanDerJames, twitter.com/vanderjames, www.behindthevoiceactors.com/James-Van-Der-Beek/, www.nndb.com/people/363/000086105/, www.jamesvandermemes.com/
|
| Favorite Movies |
The Shawshank Redemption
|
| Favorite Foods |
Quinoa and veggie scrambles, Eggs, Israeli salad
|
James David Van Der Beek (March 8, 1977 – February 11, 2026) was an American actor. Known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery on The WB's Dawson's Creek (1998–2003), he also played a fictionalized version of himself on the cult ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013), starred as FBI agent Elijah Mundo on CSI: Cyber (2015–2016) and appeared as Matt Bromley during the first season of the FX drama Pose (2018).
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