Originally appeared on E! Online.
James Van Der Beek didn’t want to wait for this reunion to go on without him.
After the 48-year-old announced he wouldn’t be able to attend the planned “Dawson’s Creek” cast charity event on Monday due to two stomach viruses amid his battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, he surprised fans with a special video appearance.
“I can’t believe I’m not there,” Van Der Beek shared in the pre-recorded video, which played at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City. “I can’t believe I don’t get to see my castmates, my beautiful cast, in person. I wanted to stand on this stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight.”
The actor — who played Dawson Leery in the 1998 teen drama until 2003 — emphasized how much he had been “looking forward to this night for months and months,” where the original cast read the pilot episode script.
READ: Why James Van Der Beek Dropped Out of Dawson’s Creek Reunion
Along with thanking the cast and crew, particularly organizer and co-star Michelle Williams, Van Der Beek expressed gratitude to his supporters, adding, “You are the best fans in the world.”
But Van Der Beek didn’t leave fans hanging, introducing Lin-Manuel Miranda as his substitute. The “Hamilton” alum joined Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps to help bring fans back to Capeside.
Although Van Der Beek, who shared his cancer diagnosis last November, couldn’t be there in person, the “Varsity Blues” alum also took a moment to reflect on the significance of the event taking place on Broadway.
“I have a confession to make: I was never actually a film geek,” he admitted. “I was a theater geek, as anybody who’s ever tried to impress me with an obscure movie quote has very quickly discovered. That’s why I think it’s so appropriate that we’re doing this tonight in a Broadway theater.”
In addition to Miranda, Van Der Beek was also represented by his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek and their kids Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, 9, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 2, all of whom were in attendance. In fact, they even joined the stars on stage to sing the show’s theme song, Paula Cole‘s “I Don’t Want to Wait.”
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for F Cancer
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for F Cancer Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes embrace along with cast members during the “Dawson’s Creek Class Reunion” at Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 22, 2025, in New York City.
Following the event, Kimberly Van Der Beek reflected on the reactions to the event, which she described as “such a gift.”
The 42-year-old shared on her Instagram Stories, “This night was so special for the whole family and, more importantly, just feeling my husband fill the entire theater and the love for him.”
Joshua Jackson is starring as a hotshot doctor in the sexy new Ryan Murphy drama “Doctor Odyssey.” At the show’s premiere, he spoke to Access Hollywood about what fans can expect from the buzzy series. He also broke down the viral moment where he presented at the 2024 Emmy Awards and was welcomed onstage with the theme song to “Dawson’s Creek,” the ’90s show that gave him his start.
