Dave Annable is celebrating James Van Der Beek's gift of being a great cheerleader to his closest friends. "Truthfully, I wavered on sharing such a personal video from James to myself, but I wanted the world to see yet another example of the man and friend that you were to me," Annable, 46, wrote via Instagram on Friday, February 13. "For context, James watched a dance I performed from Austin's Dancing With the Stars event over FaceTime, as he was unable to attend because he was sick and receiving treatment. I chose to share this because, to me, this is exactly the friend James was." In the video, Van Der Beek praised his longtime friend for attempting to perform the jive. The Dawson's Creek actor even encouraged Annable to pursue it further. "We should start dancing," he said. "Me, you, our wives, get Stacy [Keibler] involved. Let's do it." James Van Der Beek Was 'Working Hard for His Family' Amid Cancer Battle According to Annable, the video is more proof that Van Der Beek was the "most supportive, generous, giving, loving cheerleader in the midst of a battle for his health." "Quite simply, James, you changed me. Forever," Annable continued. "You showed me what it was like to love fully, and you were always trying to teach me to love myself - to not put a ceiling on myself, to see me as a man who was worthy of love and self-love. It's a battle I'm constantly fighting. You are and will always be my role model." News broke on Wednesday, February 11, that Van Der Beek had died at the age of 48 after announcing his stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024. Dave Annable, James Van Der Beek Getty Images (X2) A GoFundMe page has been created to help support James' wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and the six children they shared. In less than two days, more than $2.2 million has been raised. Annable seemingly revealed that he was able to spend time with James in the days before his death. "Thank you for your beautiful words to me as we said goodbye to one another the other day," he wrote via Instagram. "They will never be forgotten. Holding one another for the last time is one of the greatest gifts a buddy could ask for. I love you, James, and we will all dance again soon. You will be with me always. I love you, brother." In a separate social media post, Dave's wife, Odette Annable, reiterated just how much of an impact James had on her family. The Uplifting Message James Van Der Beek Gave In His Final Interview "You meant a hell of a lot to Dave," Odette, 40, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, February 12. "The gift you gave him the other day, what you said... we still don't quite have the words." While pop culture fans will remember James for his roles in special projects like Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues, Odette said it was only a small portion of the actor's big life. "Yes, the characters you played gave you icon status," she wrote. "But the greatest role you ever played was husband to my dear @vanderkimberly and father to your glorious children. That was the masterpiece. The bar could not have been set higher. The love you and Kim shared was rare. Sacred. Otherworldly. I find peace believing the date nights will continue, that your marriage is more alive than ever."