One month ago, James Van Der Beek died. Many Dawson’s Creek stars posted touching tributes in the wake of his death. But Joshua Jackson needed to sit with the news. Earlier this morning, Joshua finally broke his silence, and as he admitted, he is still “processing” the fact that James has passed away.
Dawson’s Creek ran for six seasons, broadcasting on the WB channel from 1998 to 2003. During the first few years of filming, James and Joshua lived together in North Carolina, the setting of this idyllic series featuring teenagers who articulated their feelings better than most. These men shared a special connection, so when James received his cancer diagnosis in 2023, Joshua rallied in James’s corner. And now that James is gone, Joshua is keeping his memory alive by reminding everyone what a “beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father” James actually was.
Joshua Jackson has made his first comments on James Van Der Beek’s death
This morning, Joshua sat for an interview with Today. As he explained, James’s death “hits in a variety of different ways. 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. So I think the processing is ongoing.”
Joshua admitted that “[James] and I shared this very amazing time … and it was formative for us. I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness.” However, Joshua added, “I will also say that I know that I’m really just a footnote in what he actually accomplished in his life.”
According to Joshua, James “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 beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father.” So, in the spirit of his late friend, Joshua is picking up his torch, helping to shine a light on correlative cancer. After all, “I’m at the age, right? Like so many people, my family has been touched by cancer,” he stressed.
As Joshua confessed, “Guys don’t like to talk about this. We don’t like to go to the doctor, we don’t like to deal with this stuff. And I know a lot of ways in your life, like that stiff upper lip thing can be helpful, but in this, it’s not helpful at all,” he ended.
James Van Der Beek’s nine-year-old daughter has offered emotional advice on grief
James’s wife and their six children are all dealing with his death. But recently, Emilia, their nine-year-old daughter, offered advice about grieving.
To honor James’s 49th birthday, his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, shared a video that Emilia recorded. I will warn you now to grab a tissue before continuing.
“As you all know, probably now, my dad has passed away,” she began. Emilia has grieved her father’s absence for a month now. So, she feels ready to lend a few tips to help others “get through anybody you love who’s passing.”
“The number one thing for somebody’s passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out. If you miss them, you can cry, you can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day. And I start with a sentence, and I say, ‘Hi dad, I miss you, and I love you so much, and I’ll never stop loving you,'” Emilia emotionally explained.
“Everybody has different emotions in their body, and they express [grief] in different ways, many, many different ways,” Emilia noted. Yet, “Something my dad told me was, if this didn’t work out the way he wanted it to and the way we wanted it to, for him living, I still have to believe in miracles. Miracles can still happen.”
Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes will reunite for film trilogy Happy Hours
Joshua briefly dated Katie Holmes, his Dawson’s Creek costar. They dated on the series, and also in real life. Now these two stars are now working on a new trilogy project together, titled “Happy Hours.” Filming started in 2025, and the first installment is expected to debut sometime later this year.
As for Katie, she is writing, directing, and starring in this trilogy. Meanwhile, Joshua has been confirmed as her romantic lead. Set in New York City, their characters, dated when they were younger. And now, via this three-part film, they will reconnect and give their romance another go as adults, all while navigating the various pitfalls of this sneeze-and-break-your-back life stage.
The last time Katie and Joshua filmed together was on Dawson’s Creek. In their last shared scene, her character finally realized that his character was her “soulmate.” By that point in filming, their real-life relationship had already ended. However, their new script is seemingly blurring these lines once again, since, rumor has it, these two might be enjoying a very casual, no-strings-attached kind of fling around NYC.
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON JOSHUA OR EMILIA’S STATEMENTS? IS YOUR INNER TEENAGER SCREAMING ABOUT JOSHUA’S NEW PROJECT WITH KATIE?
