‘Dawson’s Creek’ Cast Reuniting Onstage for Cancer Charity Event to Support James Van Der Beek

Van Der Beek, 48, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in the summer of 2023.

James Van Der Beek arrives at the premiere of Prime Video Series "Overcompensating" at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on May 14, 2025. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The cast of the hit drama series “Dawson’s Creek” will reunite on a New York City stage next month for a charity event in support of the nonprofit “F” Cancer and the show’s star James Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023.

Van Der Beek, 48, will join former castmates Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 22 for a special live reading of the show’s pilot episode.

Developed by screenwriter Kevin Williamson, “Dawson’s Creek” chronicled the experiences of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional Massachusetts town of Capeside as they navigated through adolescence into adulthood.

The series debuted in 1998, with Van Der Beek playing the titular character Dawson Leery for six seasons until the show’s conclusion in 2003.

In a statement, Williamson, who is co-producing the charity event, said he was looking forward to reuniting with Van Der Beek and the rest of his “Dawson’s Creek” family for such a special evening.

“‘Dawson’s Creek’ changed my life. What began as a personal story about a young man and his friends navigating their way through the challenges of life became so much more than I ever dreamed,” he said.

“It created an enduring fandom and legacy all over the world. I am so honored to be a part of it and to support our beautiful friend, James, as we continue to navigate our way through life and its many challenges.”

Williams, who is also co-producing the live reading, shared a similar sentiment, noting that the show’s cast shares “a bond that will last a lifetime.”

“We wanted to gather around our dear friend James and remind him that we are all here,” she said. “We always have been and we always will be.”

Van Der Beek, who has six children with his wife of 15 years, Kimberly, announced his cancer battle in November 2024, writing online that he had had a tough year but was “thankful for all of it.”

“For the giant life re-direct cancer has placed in my path. For the gift of knowing what it feels like to have friends come through on such a profound level, and in ways I never would have been able to ask for had I not been going through it,” he wrote.

“I’m grateful for this new relationship I have to my body, and what I feed it.”