As James Van Der Beek‘s fans and loved ones mourn his death, his Dawson’s Creek family is paying tribute.
On Wednesday, the late actor’s onscreen mother Mary-Margaret Humes remembered Van Der Beek’s “quiet strength and dignity” after he died at age 48 after revealing his colorectal cancer diagnosis.
“Rarely am I at a loss for words… today would be the exception,” wrote Humes, who starred on the WB soap as Gail Leery. “James, my gracious warrior, you fought a hard battle against all odds with such quiet strength and dignity. I will always love and admire you for that.”
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Humes continued, “Our last conversations… merely a few days ago… are forever sitting softly in my heart for safe keeping. To our extended Dawson’s Creek family of friends… please be respectful of our silences at the moment as Beautiful Kimberly and family have asked for peaceful privacy for now.”
Busy Philipps, who played Audrey Liddell in the final two seasons of the show’s 1998-2003 run, also penned a statement.
“My heart is deeply hurting for all of us today… every person who knew James and loved him, anyone who loved his work or had the pleasure of meeting him, all of his dear friends and community that surrounded him as he battled this illness, especially his parents and brother and sister,” she wrote on Instagram. “But I am profoundly heartbroken for his incredible wife Kimberly and their six magical children.”
Sharing a link to a GoFundMe set up for his family, Philipps added, “James Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and i don’t know what else to say. I am just so so sad. He was my friend and I loved him and i’m so grateful for our friendship all these years.”
Van Der Beek made his breakout performance on Dawson’s Creek as the titular high school film buff Dawson Leery, who navigates adolescence with his best friends Joey (Katie Holmes), Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jen (Michelle Williams). Created by Kevin Williamson, the series ran for six seasons on The WB.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of James Van Der Beek,” the official Dawson’s Creek IG account wrote. “His iconic portrayal of Dawson Leery helped define a generation of television for fans and continues to resonate with audiences today. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”