Following an introduction on stage from the cast of the 1998 teen drama \u2014 including Michelle Williams<\/a>, Katie Holmes<\/a>, Joshua Jackson<\/a>, Busy Philipps<\/a>, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, and Meredith Monroe \u2014 the actors stepped aside at the Richard Rodgers Theatre while a video message from Van Der Beek played behind them.<\/p>\n “I have been looking forward to this night for months and months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she would put it together,” Van Der Beek, 48, said in the clip, one day after a stomach virus led to him exiting the Dawson’s Creek Class Reunion charity event aimed at raising money for F Cancer. Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cindy Ord\/Getty<\/p>\n The cast of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunite at a charity event for cancer<\/p>\n Van Der Beek said, “I can’t believe I’m not there” before lamenting that he doesn’t “get to hug my cast mates, my beautiful cast, in person” on stage.<\/p>\n “I wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight. From the cast to he crew to everybody who\u2019s donated time and been so generous,” the star said. “And especially every single last one of you, the best fans the world.”<\/p>\n He then joked that his replacement in the live reading at the event was a “young up-and-comer,” with the role of Dawson’s being taken over by Hamilton stage legend Lin-Manuel Miranda<\/a>, who ran on stage after the clip played.<\/p>\n Video from the event<\/a> circulating online shows Van Der Beek’s children singing the beloved drama’s theme song, Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait,” with cast members on stage, while the audience stood during the performance.<\/p>\n Philipps later shared a video to her Instagram Story, in which she celebrated the event and honored Van Der Beek, who remained with Dawson’s Creek until the series ended in 2003.<\/p>\n “Tonight was really incredible and very special, and, obviously, James not being able to get there was heartbreaking for a million different reasons,” Philipps said. “But, I was so glad that [his wife] Kimberly, and all the kids were able to be there. His dad was there, his sister, Kimberly\u2019s family and her closest friends. It was really beautiful, and James was getting lots of videos, FaceTimes, texts and things. We love him so much, and we love everybody that supported. Thank you.”<\/p>\n Steve Granitz\/FilmMagic<\/p>\n ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star James Van Der Beek in Los Angeles on May 14, 2025<\/p>\n Van Der Beek’s cast members have spoken highly of him in recent months, with Jackson detailing the actor’s resilience during an April appearance with\u00a0Jesse Tyler Ferguson<\/a>\u00a0on the\u00a0Dinner’s on Me<\/a>\u00a0podcast.<\/p>\n “James is going through something really truly terrible right now,” Jackson told the Modern Family star at the time. “And I wish I could take credit for this, but I was kind of the absentee partner here, but the girls all got together and were like, ‘We need to do something to help this guy out.'”<\/p>\n![\"Cindy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/dc2e6fbe063c82e446a06a4751f3b2e0.jpeg\"\/)
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