The Barbara Berlanti “Heroes Gala,” launched eight years ago by top TV producer Greg Berlanti in honor of his mom who had died of cancer, hit close to home as the disease recently claimed one of the actors on Berlanti’s Dawson’s Creek.
Series creator Kevin Williamson received the Barbara Berlanti Hero Award at the event Saturday at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica. Now in its third edition, the event was launched to raise money for F Cancer’s early detection, prevention, and psychosocial initiatives.
Williamson was presented with the award by Dawson’s Creek star Joshua Jackson and TV writer-producer Julie Plec, who worked with frequent collaborator Williamson, Jackson and Berlanti on Dawson’s Creek. Williamson was recognized for arranging the Dawson’s Creek table read to support Van Der Beek following his cholesterol cancer diagnosis and benefit F Cancer.
“In the days before we went on stage to do this reading to support James, his health took a turn, and Kevin opened up not only his heart for making sure that everybody was okay, but also his wallet to make sure that we were able to honor James and honor his family at this event in truly the most amazing way possible, to allow his children to be in a room filled with people there to celebrate their dad as they had seen him go through what he was going through with humility and grace and to see the love for him that existed outside of their family,” Jackson said as he and Plec, a 2022 Heroes Gala honoree, both choked up while talking about Van Der Beek.
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Williamson, who, like Berlanti, lost his mom to lung cancer, also fought back tears while remembering Van Der Beek’s journey on Dawson’t Creek, a series inspired by Williamson’s own coming-of-age.
“James Van Beek gave voice to my childhood, he was the soul of the show, and anyway, he was the ultimate upgrade,” Williamson said about the actor playing a character he had based on himself. “I had the great pleasure of knowing James over many years, I saw him go from a young kid to an extraordinary man — a husband, a father, and a friend.”
Williamson took a lighter note while recalling his and Van Der Beek’s dynamic early in the show’s run.
“James had a full character arc. He started out as a brat. He would get a script and he would call me, and he would be like, ‘Why do I have to say this word? Nobody knows what this word means.’ And I would say, ‘Well, don’t worry about it, the way you mumble, nobody is going to hear it anyway.’ That was our relationship — Dawson talking to Dawson.”
Van Der Beek’s death in February at the age of 48, “really knocked me over,” Williamson said. He called the September 2025 table read benefit “probably one of the most special nights of my life.”
“The only thing missing was James. He was meant to be there. We were holding down hope till the last second, the doctors just wouldn’t let him get on the plane, but he still showed up that night with his unshakable courage and his spirit,” Williamson said. “I think he’s here with us tonight. He’s going to be with us for always. He’s awesome, and so I can’t pretend I’m worthy of any award but I will accept it. I’ll accept it in memory of my mother. I will accept it in the memory of James Van Der Beek, and I will accept it for the entire Dawson’s Creek family.”
The Dawson’t Creek reunion also included Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson’s (Van De Beek) mom on the show. She walked the red carpet with Jackson.
The Emmy-winning The Pitt star Katherine LaNasa, who spoke about getting diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2023 while struggling to find work during the post-pandemic industry contraction, received the Inspirational Hero Award. It was presented to her by The Pitt creator/executive producer R. Scott Gemmill.
“Katherine is more than a survivor. She is a warrior,” Gemmill said. “I think her spirit — I’m pretty sure — was shaped from coming from a long line of tough, ballsy, smart, funny Southern women. I see that every day. Sometimes it’s a lot to deal with.”
Gemmill spoke of how LaNasa’s strength during her cancer battle has influenced her Emmy Award-winning portrayal of charge nurse David Dana Evans on The Pitt.
“That, along with her empathy and her grace, has shone new light on an entire profession, helping healthcare workers to be seen and heard from in a way that’s never happened to them,” Gemmill said.
He referenced one of LaNasa’s most memorable storylines on the HBO Max medical drama.
She portrayed a sexual assault nurse examiner last year with such honesty and rawness for Tina Ivlev, who is also here, that it affected so many people’s lives,” Gemmill said. “But also affected policy to the point where Allegheny General Hospital is now getting $20,000 more to train additional sexual assault nurse examiners, and those men and women will go on to change people’s lives in such a positive way. That’s just because she was willing to use what she went through and tap into it and give it to others, and that is a hero. That is an inspiration. That is impact. That is change. That is overcoming adversity, using your gift to help others. And that is my friend and my muse, Katherine LaNasa.”
Actress-producer Octavia Spencer presented the Memorial Hero Award to trailblazing former NBA player Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete to compete in one of America’s top professional sports leagues, who died of glioblastoma in May. The honor was accepted by Collins’ husband, Brunson Green.
Among those who attended the gala, co-chaired by Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, were LaNasa’s The Pitt co-stars Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball an Shawn Hatosy, and top executives at The Pitt studio Warner Bros. Television, where Berlanti is based under an overall deal, and platform HBO Max including Casey Bloys, Sarah Aubrey, Joey Chavez, Clancy Collins White, and Brett Paul. (Both companies sponsored the event.)
Other notable guests included Paramount TV Studios President Matt Thunell, former longtime head of Warner Bros. TV Peter Roth, Danielle Panabaker, LaNasa’s usband Grant Show, Jim Rash, who emceed the auction, Lisa Ann Walter, Matthew Lillard and Sarah Shah.
Most of them took to the dance floor when Seal closed out the night by performing some of his biggest hits.