“It’s been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be,” the actor said.

James Van Der Beek addresses concerns about his weight loss at Dawson’s Creek reunion amid cancer battle

"It's been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be," the actor said.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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December 19, 2025 10:54 a.m. ET

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James Van Der Beek on 'Today'. Credit:

James Van Der Beek wants to assure his fans and supporters that he's feeling "much better" than he has in a long while.

The *Dawson's Creek *alum sat down with *Today* show cohost Craig Melvin for in a wide-ranging interview that aired Friday to discuss his cancer journey, his faith, and concerns from fans about his visible weight loss.

When Van Der Beek, who announced his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, was unable to attend a September *Dawson's Creek* reunion charity event in person due to "two stomach viruses," he made a surprise appearance via a prerecorded video. The actor's gaunt appearance on camera sparked overwhelming concern from fans who worried that his cancer was taking a turn.

James Van Der Beek'ss surprise video message during the 'Dawson's Creek' reunion.

Courtesy Breanne Heldman

"I'd lost so much weight because of the stomach virus, yeah," Van Der Beek told Melvin when the host brought up fan responses. "No, it was not cancer related. Although with cancer everything's like, 'Why don't we super size that stomach virus?'"

Van Der Beek's wife, Kimberly, and their six children attended the event in his place, where two of his daughters took the stage to sing the show's theme song — Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait" — with his former costars Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Busy Philipps, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, and Meredith Monroe.

"As crushed as I was not being able to go to that *Dawson's Creek* reunion, my family got to go. And I was Zooming in on that night and they got a standing ovation just for taking their seats," Van Der Beek recalled, smiling. "And all that love that would have otherwise been directed at me, was directed at my family. It was just one of the most beautiful moments I've ever gotten to witness. I'm just so grateful to the fans for doing that."

Craig Melvin; James Van Der Beek.

Craig Melvin/instagram

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But since his video appearance in September, Van Der Beek asserts that he feels "much, much better than I did a couple months ago."

James Van Der Beek dons 'Varsity Blues' jersey to raise money for cancer treatment: 'Endlessly grateful for all of you'

James Van Der Beek is auctioning off 'Dawson's Creek' and 'Varsity Blues' memorabilia to pay for cancer treatment

"It's been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be," he added. "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."

Although the actor shared that he's "trying a bunch of stuff" as he still undergoes cancer treatment, he declined to be specific about those therapies. Throughout it all, Van Der Beek said that he's learned to process his fears one step at a time.

"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."

Watch Van Der Beek's *Today* show interview above.

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