James Van Der Beek wants fans to know he’s feeling fine, getting treatment for colorectal cancer, still working as an actor and appreciating life in a new way.
In an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Craig Melvin, the “Dawson’s Creek” star described himself as “really fortunate in an unfortunate diagnosis.”
The conversation took place at Van Der Beek’s ranch in Texas and touched on everything from his symptoms to how his wife and six children are dealing with his illness.
The actor, 48, announced he had colorectal cancer last year. In September, he sparked concern when he didn’t attend a “Dawson’s Creek” reunion in person, appearing in a video instead.
But Van Der Beek said his absence was not cancer related and that he had to miss the event after being “hit with some stomach bugs,” which also caused him to lose weight.
“I feel much, much better than I did a couple months ago,” Van Der Beek told TODAY in an interview that aired on Friday, Dec. 19.
“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,” he told Craig.
The actor said he’s still getting cancer treatment, “trying a bunch of stuff,” though he declined to be specific about the therapies he’s undergone.
Shocked to Be Diagnosed
Van Der Beek never suspected he would face a serious disease.
“I was so healthy, was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was doing the cold plunges, and the saunas, and the intermittent fasting and all of it,” he said.
“I had Stage 3 cancer and had no idea.”
His symptoms included a change of bowel habits and feeling like something was off with this body. But they weren’t dramatic — “nothing that made me think, ‘Oh, I’ve got to run to a doctor right now," he said. Still, he made an appointment and asked for a colonoscopy.
Van Der Beek remembered waking up from the anesthesia after the procedure and still in a haze when the doctor told him, "It is cancer."
“I went into shock. 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,’” he recalled.
His whole day was consumed with signing up for medical portals, scheduling appointments and scans. He had to pull out of acting roles as cancer became his full-time job.
Van Der Beek was 46 when he underwent a colonoscopy and wants people to know anyone 45 and over can get colorectal cancer screening, whether they have symptoms or not. It can be done with a stool test, a colonoscopy or other techniques.
He suspects doctors would have caught his cancer earlier if he’d asked to be checked right at 45, but he’s turned that regret into energy for raising awareness, which makes him feel better.
"If anybody takes anything away from this interview, it would be get tested, talk to your doctor,” Van Der Beek said.
Grateful for Family
The actor credits his wife, Kimberly, for keeping him going, calling her “an absolute saint.” She’s become a caregiver, nurse, the head of the household and the one managing schedules — getting the kids to appointments and gymnastics, he said.
The couple has been honest about his diagnosis with their six children, who are between the ages of 4 and 15. The worst case scenario of them crying and being scared never happened, he noted.
“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,” Van Der Beek said.
“So their request to me, especially the older ones, is, ‘Just be honest with us. We want to know.’”
He’s proud to see them build resilience as they handle situations he never wanted to put them in and come out stronger.
New Perspective on Life
Van Der Beek revealed he gets scared sometimes, but tries to breathe through the fear.
“In private moments, for sure, I break down and get scared and feel weak. And it's just all part of the journey,” he said.
“The hardest part has been the patience this has required as I'll, say, make a plan and then not be able to follow through on it.”
Still, the actor calls cancer the best thing that ever happened to him because it forced him to make lifestyle changes and appreciate every moment. “Presence I think is really the gift that cancer has given me,” he said.
Van Der Beek started eating a healthier diet and has slowed down. He pondered the concept of self-love and what it meant if he was no longer the same husband, father and provider for his family.
“I was like, ‘If I'm just an underweight dude in a room with cancer who can't put his kids to bed because I'm away getting treatment, and can't kiss his wife because I'm not in the same state, what am I?’” he recalled.
“What I realized was I'm still worthy of love. My own love, God's love. And so are we all. That I never would've come to realize had I not gone through this journey.”
New Acting Roles
Van Der Beek has just wrapped up filming the prequel series to “Legally Blonde,” which will stream on Amazon Prime Video.
He called the work fun, noting he’s getting more acting offers and is lucky to be in demand.
The actor wants to go back on Broadway, calling stage acting his first love.
Whatever comes his way, he’s focusing on his faith.
“Before cancer, God was something I tried to fit into my life as much as possible. After cancer, I feel like a connection to God, whatever that is, is kind of the whole point of this exercise on this planet,” Van Der Beek said.
“To be good stewards of our relationships with other people, and in doing so, connecting to whatever that force of God's love is.”
