Dawson’s Creek star Joshua Jackson spoke publicly about the death of his friend James Van Der Beek for the first time on Tuesday.
The pair were co-stars in the hit teen comedy from 1998 to 2003, and despite reportedly losing touch after the show wrapped, had reconnected in the years that followed. Van Der Beek died from colorectal cancer in February at the age of 48.
Jackson, who played Pacey to Van Der Beek’s Dawson, appeared on the Today show on Tuesday morning, where he spoke about the loss of his co-star and how it had affected him as a parent.
“For me as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague,” Jackson said. “So I think the processing is ongoing.”
The two men spent six seasons together, portraying their characters of Pacey Witter and Dawson Leery. The Fringe star remembered their time working together fondly, saying, “He and I shared this very amazing time… and it was formational for us.
“I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness,” he added, “but I will also say that I know that I’m really just a footnote in what he actually accomplished in his life.”
Van Der Beek’s cancer was announced in 2024.
Jackson added, “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.”
Speaking on the Whine Down podcast in 2025, Van Der Beek said that the pair had recently reconnected.
A month later, speaking on Dinner’s on Me, Jackson said they did keep in touch, although, “Sometimes it’s not a weekly or monthly or even a half-yearly call.”
Their co-star, Katie Holmes, also previously spoke out about the loss of Van Der Beek.
“I am so grateful to have shared in a piece of James’ journey. He is beloved,” she wrote on Instagram. “To share space with your imagination is sacred. Breathing the same air in the land of make-believe and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression. These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs—adventures of a unique youth.”
Obsessed with pop culture and entertainment? Follow us on Substack and YouTube for even more coverage.
