Joshua Jackson opened up for the first time about the loss of his Dawson’s Creek costar James Van Der Beek, who died last month at 48 following a battle with colorectal cancer.
Appearing on the Today show, Jackson reflected on the tragedy and the impact it continues to have on him.
“I think it hits in a variety of different ways,” he told host Craig Melvin.
He added, “For me as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague. So I think the processing is ongoing.”
Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.
Jackson, who shares a daughter with ex-wife Jodie Turner-Smith, said the grief resonates differently now that he is a parent himself.
Looking back on their years together on the WB teen drama from 1998 to 2003, Jackson described the experience as “formational” for both actors.
He added that Van Der Beek grew into “a good man… an unbelievable partner and husband… a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father.”
Following Van Der Beek’s passing on February 11, Kimberly shared a heartfelt statement announcing his death, praising his courage and faith in his final days.
The official Dawson’s Creek account also honored him, calling his portrayal of Dawson Leery “iconic” and noting that it “helped define a generation of television.”
