James Van Der Beek Makes Surprise Virtual Appearance at Dawson’s Creek Reunion

James Van Der Beek made a surprise cameo at the Dawson’s Creek Reunion Monday night in NYC, this after he bowed out of the event due to his ongoing health issues, including cancer.

The actor — who played Dawson Leery on the hit TV show — appeared in a pre-recorded video on a virtual screen in the Richard Roger’s theater in Manhattan— and introduced the man who stepped up to replace him — Lin Manuel Miranda.

Van Der Beek said he had been looking forward to the reunion for months after fellow actor Michelle Williams put the event together. He said he was disappointed he couldn’t make it to see his co-stars, such as Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes and Williams, who played Jen Lindley on the WB show.

James then gave a shoutout to the fans in the theater, thanking everyone for being there and saying he was humbled by their presence. He also made a joke about Lin Manuel being his understudy before he introduced the Hamilton creator as his replacement. Check out the video … it’s a moment of true levity.

One day earlier, Van Der Beek posted on Instagram he couldn’t make it to the reunion because of two stomach viruses. In November 2024 … Van Der Beek announced he had stage 3 colorectal cancer after being diagnosed with the disease roughly a year before.