Cue the Creek tears—James Van Der Beek had to miss a dream reunion.
The 48-year-old actor, forever remembered as earnest teen heartthrob Dawson Leery, was set to join his Dawson’s Creek castmates for a one-night-only live reading of the show’s pilot episode on Monday (September 22). The event doubled as a fundraiser for James’ cancer-related charity work and his own cancer journey, making his absence all the more heartbreaking.
On Instagram, James revealed he’d been looking forward to the night since “my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January…” But then disaster struck:
“Two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment,” he wrote.
“Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there. I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.”
But the show—and the Creek—must go on.
“I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available)… The role of ‘Dawson,’ usually played by James Van Der Beek… Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.”
James closed by thanking the Hamilton creator:
“Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin. And thank you @lin_manuel. You were a hero to my kids before… now you’re a demigod 😇.”
The reunion took place at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, home to Hamilton, benefiting James and the nonprofit F–k Cancer, which supports prevention, early detection, and those fighting the disease.
