James Van Der Beek
American · 48 years old · Died 8 June 2026
Actor — Dawson's Creek, Varsity Blues
Cause of death
Colorectal cancer
James Van Der Beek shot to fame as the lead of Dawson's Creek, the coming-of-age drama that defined late-1990s teen television. He went on to careers in film and a well-received self-parodying role in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. In 2024, he publicly revealed his colorectal cancer diagnosis. He died in 2026 at just 48 — one of the youngest notable deaths of the year, and a stark reminder that colorectal cancer is increasingly striking people under 50.
How common is cancer (all types)?
James Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer. Globally, cancer (all types) kills 10,000,000 people every year — that is 27,397 per day, or roughly one person every 3 seconds. It accounts for 16% of all deaths worldwide.
Deaths / year
10,000,000
Deaths / day
27,397
Deaths / hour
1,142
Deaths / second
0.32
Share of all global deaths
Risk factors for cancer (all types)
Since James Van Der Beek died
Live count since 8 June 2026
Total deaths worldwide since then
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Deaths from same cause since then
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