James Van Der Beek has returned to social media with a heartwarming post days after his surprise video appearance at the Dawson’s Creek reunion.
The actor, who has stage 3 colorectal cancer, has marked his daughter Olivia’s birthday with a video from the event on Monday, which he was forced to miss due to illness.
In it, Olivia sings the hit ’90s show’s theme song, Paula Cole’s I Don’t Wanna Wait, on stage with cast members including Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.
Watch the video above.
“My oldest turned 15 today. Same age that Dawson was in the pilot,” Van Der Beek, 48, wrote.
“To watch you stand there in that red dress, so confidently taking center stage amidst all those people I’ve known so long and cherish so deeply… I’m just left in awe.
“I’ve always joked that you came out ‘parent proof,’ but this last year, as I’ve watched you accelerate into so many big decisions, jump into so many activities, budget your time, do your homework and your hair (which, from my point of view, seem to require roughly the same amount of time & focus 😂)… the less I think the parent-proof thing is a joke.”
The actor ended the post with a touching message for Olivia, the eldest of his six children with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek.
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“Keep taking big swings, kiddo. Risk imperfection. Keep dreaming big and most importantly, be true to who you are,” he added.
“Because, while only YOU will know exactly who your most authentic self will be, as someone who’s known you your whole life… I can guarantee you’re going to love her.
“Happy birthday kiddo. I love you.”
Van Der Beek and his family have been through the wringer following the star’s cancer diagnosis at age 46, which he announced to the public in November last year.
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“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told People magazine.
He later wrote on Instagram, “I’ve been … getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation.”
Van Der Beek had been due to join his castmates at the Dawson’s Creek reunion, which had been organised by Williams with all proceeds going to charity F Cancer.
However, ahead of the event he announced via Instagram that he had been forced to pull out due to illness, revealing his role would be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January…” he wrote.
“So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment.
“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.”
Dawson’s Creek cast: Then and now
Van Der Beek was represented at the event by his wife and children, who joined members of the cast on stage.
The actor, who played the titular Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama, also appeared via a video message that was played to the audience.
“Thank you for coming. It’s just absolutely humbling just how much you did for this night, and I just want to say thank you,” he said in the clip.
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