James Van Der Beek found an escape from his cancer battle while filming what would become his final onscreen role in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series Elle. At the show’s New York City premiere on Tuesday, co-showrunner Caroline Dries reflected on working with the late actor, who died in February at age 48 after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. “James told me that acting allowed him to be someone else and forget the pain he was in,” Dries said before a screening of the series’s first two episodes. Dries recalled Van Der Beek as upbeat and generous throughout production, saying he often brought his daughters to set and made everyone laugh. “He showed us nothing but kindness.” In the series, Van Der Beek plays Dean Wilson, the city’s mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent. Co-showrunner Laura Kittrell said the team always envisioned the character as a nostalgic ’90s-inspired figure and felt the former Dawson’s Creek star was the perfect fit. The series follows a young Elle Woods navigating High School and premieres July 1 on Prime Video.
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