This one hurts. James Van Der Beek, the actor so many of us first fell in love with on Dawson's Creek, was quietly planning his next chapter even as he faced the fight of his life. The 48-year-old star, who passed away on Wednesday after a nearly three-year battle with colorectal cancer, had reportedly been working on a memoir before his tragic death. Related: James Van Der Beek's Heartbroken Ex-Wife Mourns His Loss According to sources who spoke to Deadline, James had been writing about his life behind the scenes - reflecting, remembering, and, perhaps, trying to make sense of a journey that took him from teen idol to devoted husband and father of six. And he was doing it all while continuing to work steadily in Hollywood, balancing treatment with scripts, sets, and family time. But still, even as his health declined, James kept showing up. He had a recurring role in the upcoming Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios series Elle, which is a prequel to the beloved Legally Blonde franchise. The series follows a young Elle Woods, set years before Reese Witherspoon's iconic character headed to Harvard Law. In the show, which premieres July 1, Van Der Beek plays Dean Wilson, the city's new mayoral candidate and a school district superintendent. He was also involved in Prime Video's Overcompensating and also made appearances on Fox's The Masked Singer. And that's not all. James also completed work on the feature film The Gates, set to debut from Lionsgate Premiere in select theaters on March 13. To that end, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios released a statement honoring the late actor's legacy: "James Van Der Beek began his career as a beloved teen icon, and audiences have connected with his breadth and depth of work ever since. He was a husband, father, consummate professional, and, most recently, a vocal advocate for cancer awareness. We are proud to have worked with him as a creative partner on Overcompensating and the upcoming Elle, where his gift for comedic timing led to memorable performances. We are deeply saddened by his passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans." Behind the scenes, James was reportedly carving out time to write his memoir between those aforementioned filming commitments and precious moments at home. It's unclear how much of the book was completed or whether it will ever even be published, but the very fact that he was putting his story into words feels significant. Related: Kesha Pays Tribute To James After His Tragic And Untimely Death John Burr, the writer-director of The Gates, also spoke to Deadline about working with James during what would become his final film role. Burr started by saying: "Before all else, I want to send sympathy and love to James' family; his wife, Kimberly, and his children, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah. Thank you for granting us the precious time with him that we had." And then Burr continued: "We were incredibly fortunate to have worked with him on this film. He brought experience and perspective to the role, and he built profound relationships with his fellow cast members and with the crew. And while he was deeply dedicated to his performance as the flawed, amoral antagonist of our story, between scenes he effortlessly morphed back into the grounded, charming conversationalist he was at his core." And in a detail that feels especially poignant now, Burr reflected on his and James' recent text exchanges in the last few months: "His words were filled with energy and punctuated with exclamation points even as his health must have been in decline." Wow. For many fans, Van Der Beek will forever be the earnest dreamer from Capeside. But in the years since that breakout role, he became something deeper and more layered: a working actor who never stopped evolving, a father who adored his children, and a man who spoke openly about his cancer battle in hopes of helping others feel less alone. The idea that he was writing a memoir suggests he understood the power of his own story. We, and the rest of Hollywood, are going to miss him so, so, so much. [Image via Sony Pictures/YouTube/MEGA/WENN] The post James Van Der Beek Was Writing A Memoir Before He Died -- And Had A TON Of Acting Projects In The Works appeared first on Perez Hilton.