Article continues below advertisementAlmost one year before his tragic death, James Van Der Beek admitted his cancer battle took a toll on him. "Today's my birthday and it has been the hardest year of my life," the actor, who died on February 11 at 48 years old, began in 2025. "When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never all that fulfilling, and then I became a husband... it was much better and then I became a father... that was the ultimate," he continued. Article continues below advertisementSource: megaThe star died on February 11.