Williams reflected on the death of James Van Der Beek while attending the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1
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NEED TO KNOW
- Michelle Williams reflected on James Van Der Beek’s death while attending the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1
- Williams said she’s been keeping her Dawson’s Creek costar and his family “constantly” in her thoughts
- Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11 at the age of 48 after a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer
Michelle Williams is keeping her Dawson’s Creek costar James Van Der Beek at the forefront of her mind following his death.
Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, announced his death after a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer in an Instagram post on Feb. 11.
While attending the 2026 Actor Awards at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1, Williams, 45, revealed how his death has impacted her.
Asked if Van Der Beek was on her mind as she collected an award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for her role in FX’s Dying for Sex, Williams replied that she was "thinking about him and…his family constantly."
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Williams added to Entertainment Tonight, “I also just want to say it’s been such an amazing thing as James is a friend and a friend of the family to see the response in the wake of his passing.”
She continued: “I just really want to say thank you to each and every person who has contributed to sustaining their lives and their children’s lives. It’s an incredibly meaningful thing to witness.”
Williams was referencing a GoFundMe created to raise money for Van Der Beek’s family in the wake of his death, which raised over $1.3 million within 24 hours of being established. According to the description on the fundraising website, the appeal was to cover “the costs of James's medical care and the extended fight against cancer," which has left his family "out of funds." As of March 2, the total raised stands at $2.75 million.
Williams appeared on the red carpet at the event alongside husband Thomas Kail, with whom she shares three children. She also has a daughter from a previous relationship with the late Heath Ledger.
The actress was 16 when she joined the cast of Dawson’s Creek as Jen Lindley, while Van Der Beek was 20 when he began starring as Dawson Leery in the coming-of-age series.
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Van Der Beek first announced his cancer diagnosis exclusively to PEOPLE in 2024, saying he was focusing on his health and “incredible” family. The actor and his wife, Kimberly, shared six children: daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9½, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4.
When the actor died at age 48, Kimberly shared a portrait of him standing outdoors on Instagram alongside a message about his final days.
"Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning," Kimberly wrote in the touching post on Feb. 11. "He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time.
“Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend, “ she concluded.
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