James Van Der Beek shared an uplifting message about his cancer diagnosis just two months before he died at age 48 on Wednesday, February 11. "As soon as I heard the news [about my colorectal cancer diagnosis], I went into shock," Van Der Beek admitted to Today's Craig Melvin on December 19, 2025, in what turned out to be the actor's final interview. "One of the things I was really lucky about was, as soon as I heard the news, I thought, 'This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to me." Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2023 when he was only 46 years old. The actor shared with Melvin, 46, that he had a "a little voice in [his] head" that helped him process the life-changing news. "[The voice said], 'You're gonna make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn't have this extreme of a diagnosis and it's going to add healthy, happy years to your life,'" he recalled on Today. Revisit Late James Van Der Beek's Cancer Battle in His Own Words Van Der Beek said he never realized the importance of "slowing down" until his cancer diagnosis forced him to take stock of his life. The Dawson's Creek star was married to actress Kimberly Brook and they shared six children, daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn and sons Joshua and Jeremiah. "I don't think I really knew what it meant to look at everything I eat, everything I put in my body," he went on. "Really, the biggest change I'd say would be this journey of self-love. What I realized is that I'm still learning to love. My own love, God's love." James Van Der Beek in his final TV on 'Today' in December 2025 Courtesy NBC/YouTube Van Der Beek's final TV appearance on Today was initially supposed to air on December 5, 2025, but was subsequently postponed for two weeks because of a pinkeye outbreak in his family. "Tell me you have kids without telling me you have kids," Van Der Beek wrote over a family photo. "Having to postpone a @today show appearance because of pink eye 😂. Sorry @today @craigmelvin for having to push." Weeks before his Today appearance, Van Der Beek pulled out of a Dawson's Creek reunion benefit at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City due to a stomach virus. At the time, the actor explained to fans that he was "in a good place and feeling strong" despite the last-minute cancellation. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Van Der Beek was replaced by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda for a script reading at the benefit, which was coordinated by his Dawson's Creek costar Michelle Williams to help with his medical needs. He did send in a video message for the event, where he thanked everyone from "the cast to the crew to everybody who donated their time and has been so generous." "You're the best fans in the world. Thank you for coming," his message concluded. During his Today interview in December 2025, Van Der Beek broke his silence over concerns that he appeared frail and gaunt in his video message. He explained to Melvin that he'd lost a lot of weight due to battling "two stomach viruses" at the same time. James Van Der Beek Reveals His Dad Moved In to Help During Cancer Treatment "I'd lost so much weight because of the stomach virus, yeah," Van Der Beek said. "No, it was not cancer related. Although with cancer everything's like, 'Why don't we super size that stomach virus?'" A spokesperson for the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to Us Weekly that Van Der Beek was pronounced dead at 6:44 a.m. on Wednesday. The Van Der Beek family also released a brief statement announcing the actor's death. "Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace," a statement read. "There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."