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Joshua Jackson breaks silence on Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek's death: ‘It hits in…’
Joshua Jackson reflects on the loss of his Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek, emphasizing the personal impact of the tragedy.
Nearly a month after the death of his Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek, actor Joshua Jackson has spoken publicly for the first time about the loss of his friend.
Jackson appeared on Today on March 10 and spoke with Craig Melvin about Van Der Beek’s death and how he has been dealing with it.
“I think it hits in a variety of different ways,” Jackson said of processing the loss. “For me as a father now, the enormity of that tragedy hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague, so I think the processing is ongoing.”
Joshua Jackson remembers his friend and co-star
Jackson said that he has been thinking a lot about his former co-star and their time working together on Dawson’s Creek.
“He and I shared this very amazing time ... and it was formational for us,” Jackson said. “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.”
Praising Van Der Beek, Jackson also added that, “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, an unbelievable partner and husband, just a real man who showed up for his family and a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father.”
Van Der Beek died at the age of 48 after a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer. He had revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with the disease.
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Joshua Jackson speaks about cancer screening
Jackson also spoke about why he partnered with AstraZeneca and the National Hockey League for the Get Body Checked Against Cancer campaign which highlights the importance of cancer screening.
“I’m at the age, right? Like so many people, my family has been touched by cancer,” he said. “Obviously, when James got his diagnosis, and now I’m thinking about a contemporary of mine going through something like this, and when the AstraZeneca folks reached out, I also have a lifelong connection to hockey.”
“Guys don’t like to talk about this. We don’t like to go to the doctor, we don’t like to deal with this stuff. And I know a lot of ways in your life, like that stiff upper lip thing can be helpful, but in this it’s not helpful at all,” he added.
Van Der Beek had also spoken publicly about the importance of screening after his diagnosis.
“I got screened at 46,” he told TODAY.com in July. “I didn’t realize they had dropped it to 45. I thought I was way ahead of the game.”
“Even just the slightest little change, it could be something, but ... don’t think that not having symptoms means you don’t have to get screened, especially for something that is this curable when caught early,” he added. “That’s really what I want to get across.”
According to the American Cancer Society, people with an average risk of colon cancer should begin screening at age 45 while those with a higher risk should start earlier.
