James Van Der Beek Called Cancer 'the Best Thing That's Ever Happened to Me' in Final Interview 2 Months Before His Death
- - James Van Der Beek Called Cancer 'the Best Thing That's Ever Happened to Me' in Final Interview 2 Months Before His Death
Liza EsquibiasFebruary 12, 2026 at 3:55 AM
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James Van Der Beek on Today in December 2025
TODAY/YouTube
In December 2025, James Van Der Beek spoke with Craig Melvin in his final televised interview for the Today show
The actor died nearly two months later, on Feb. 11, after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023
In the interview, Van Der Beek said cancer was a "gift" in many aspects of his life and revealed he felt "much, much better" than he had in months
James Van Der Beek was optimistic about his cancer journey, just two months before his death.
The Dawson's Creek alum died at the age of 48 on Wednesday, Feb. 11, three years after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He made his final appearance in December 2025 in a televised interview from his home with Today's Craig Melvin, where he opened up about his health and the impact the diagnosis had on his life.
“I feel much, much better than I did a couple months ago," Van Der Beek said at the time. "It's been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be. It's required more of me — more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong — I didn't know I was this strong. But I feel good."
In 2023, the actor decided to get a colonoscopy after sensing something was “off” in his body, although he noted that none of his symptoms — such as a shift in bowel movements — seemed particularly alarming. After the procedure, while he was still coming off of the anesthetic, Van Der Beek’s doctor informed him that he had stage 3 colorectal cancer.
“I went into shock,” he admitted to Melvin in the 2025 interview, later recalling, "I really don't think I knew what to do. Neither did my wife. And we drove home in silence. And part of me wanted to panic. Part of me wanted to just freak out. But then another part of my brain was like, ‘You don't know enough yet.' "
Still, the actor said he knew from the start that he was going to turn the experience into something positive.
"One of the things I was really lucky about was when I heard the news, I was like, ‘This is gonna be the best thing that’s ever happened to me,’ ” he revealed during the Today interview. "I had this little voice in my head that said, ‘You’re gonna make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn’t have this extreme of a diagnosis, and it’s gonna add healthy, happy years to your life.' "
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James Van Der Beek on Today in December 2025
TODAY/YouTube
Van Der Beek shared the cancer news publicly in November 2024 in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. He became a vocal advocate for early colon cancer screening. Anyone over 45 can get screened — he did so at age 46 — regardless of symptoms, via stool test, a colonoscopy or other methods.
He also explained how he and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, approached the topic with their six children.
“Kids know if you're not right. They know if you're sick. They know you're not feeling well. They know if you're in pain,” he told Today. “So their request to me, especially the older ones, is, ‘Just be honest with us. We want to know.' "
Van Der Beek added: “As much as I want to shield them from seeing me in any kind of pain or stress, I wanted to be Superman, Super Dad. You realize that resilience is not only something that they have and can build, but it’s the best thing for them."
James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek in 2017
Phillip Faraone/WireImage
Van Der Beek further praised his wife for her support.
“I would not be alive if it weren’t for my wife,” he gushed in the December interview. "She just has stepped up as a caretaker, as a nurse, as head of the household.”
Living with cancer, he said during the Today interview, ultimately helped him appreciate life on a deeper level: "I don’t think I knew what it was to slow down before. I don’t think I knew what it was to really look at everything I eat, everything I put in my body."
"I think before cancer, I took all these little, beautiful moments as part of a collective,” he added. “I was just aware of everything. And now I’m able, much more, to just settle into that exact moment. So presence is really the gift that cancer’s given me."
In a cover interview with PEOPLE in November 2024, Van Der Beek similarly said he felt the diagnosis was a "life redirect." "I’ve really been so blessed with my wife and kids,” he said at the time. “I’ve got a lot to live for, and it’s a beautiful life.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
