{"id":668482,"date":"2026-07-01T19:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T19:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/668482\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T19:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T19:28:13","slug":"legally-blonde-series-elles-cast-pay-tribute-to-star-james-van-der-beek-who-died-earlier-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/668482\/","title":{"rendered":"Legally Blonde series Elle&#8217;s cast pay tribute to star James Van Der Beek, who died earlier this year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The cast of the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle have paid tribute to their late co-star James Van Der Beek. The actor sadly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70315532\/dawsons-creek-james-van-der-beek-dies\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70315532\/dawsons-creek-james-van-der-beek-dies\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"passed away earlier this year\" data-node-id=\"3.5\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">passed away earlier this year<\/a>  at the age of 48 following a battle with bowel cancer.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The star famously appeared in Dawson&#8217;s Creek, with newly-released <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/amazon-prime-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/amazon-prime-video\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Prime Video\" data-node-id=\"9.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Prime Video<\/a> series Elle marking his final credited role.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Appearing at the UK premiere of the show, Tom Everett Scott, who plays Wyatt Woods, exclusively told Digital Spy: &#8220;I have great memories of working with James. I&#8217;d never met him before and had always been a fan, and I came on set and he was just so lovely.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services\" data-node-id=\"18.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best streaming services<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;Such a good actor and so handsome, and we just had a great time. He enjoyed being on set, he enjoyed acting. We all went to dinner one night and got to know each other a little better, and it&#8217;s just been a real pleasure to have known him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Chandler Kinne, who plays Kimberly, called Van Der Beek &#8220;such an angel of a human&#8221;, saying she felt &#8220;so incredibly grateful to have been able to share time and space with him&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;That is so rare that you come across a person like that, who is so wise,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It&#8217;s like he had lived so many lives and was so generous with his time and his energy and his wisdom, his advice. It was such a beautiful time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Kinney recalled a time the late actor brought his daughters to the set. &#8220;I always keep games on me wherever I go. So his daughter wanted to play games, and I had Bananagrams and Uno. It was so nice getting to make them laugh and smile,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"39\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;He was such a light, and I think his light lives on in all the work he&#8217;s done, and it&#8217;s in the show as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"june diane raphael, james van der beek, elle\" title=\"June Diane Raphael, James Van Der Beek, Elle\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2999\" height=\"1995\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/f2e04cda-6560-4e8f-af45-4e97a9059837.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Prime Video<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/ustv\/a71795196\/elle-prime-video-review-legally-blonde\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/ustv\/a71795196\/elle-prime-video-review-legally-blonde\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Why the brutal bashing of Legally Blonde&#039;s prequel series Elle is completely unfair\" data-node-id=\"44.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Why the brutal bashing of Legally Blonde&#8217;s prequel series Elle is completely unfair<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;We didn&#8217;t have as much overlap as I wanted to have, but he was incredibly special, I don&#8217;t have to say that,&#8221; added Jacob Moskovitz (who plays Miles). <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;He&#8217;s so, so special. He came to set and sat and had lunch with us, he chatted with us, he told stories about acting. He brought his children to set, we played games. He was just a light, and I know we all miss him very much,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Elle focuses on the teenage years of Reese Witherspoon&#8217;s Legally Blonde character Elle Woods, here played by Lexi Minetree, depicting the &#8220;life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"60\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Elle is streaming now on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Prime Video\" data-vars-ga-product-id=\"63ea42ea-454c-4ab6-a149-6b59d29b400f\" data-node-id=\"60.2\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21\" data-product-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21\" data-affiliate=\"true\" data-affiliate-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21\" data-affiliate-network=\"{&quot;site_id&quot;:&quot;53fd7fa5-d43c-401b-823b-b21cf6cddcd6&quot;,&quot;metadata&quot;:{&quot;links&quot;:{&quot;default&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.com-21&quot;,&quot;sem&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.co.uk-lift-21&quot;,&quot;social&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/amazonprime?tag=digitalspy.co.uk-soc-lift-21&quot;}},&quot;network&quot;:{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Amazon&quot;},&quot;product_metadata&quot;:null,&quot;afflink_redirect&quot;:null}\" data-fp-affiliate-inline-link=\"true\" data-fp-affiliate-button-link=\"false\" data-vars-ga-product-brand=\"amazon.co.uk\" data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=\"aa3dfd4f-079b-40e1-9879-28636a0c2a95\" data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand=\"amazon.co.uk\" data-vars-ga-link-treatment=\"(not set) | (not set)\" class=\"body-link product-links css-1gyyefe e1aq0z090\" data->Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"65\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"65.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"69\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsbts\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsbts\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"69.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The cast of the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle have paid tribute to their late co-star James Van&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":668483,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,150303,147950,379,223882,381,96,2788,190731,1156,223881,223205,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-668482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-collection-exclusives","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-068c67d4-5806-4eda-b2a3-ff41d1036508","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-elles-cast-pay-tribute-to-star-james-van-der-beek","tag-sponsored-false","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}