Fergus Greer/ (C)Columbia TriStar Television/courtesy Everett Collection Tap Here To Add Us Weekly As A Trusted Source Add as a preferred source on Google James Van Der Beek died in February 2026 at age 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer. The Connecticut-born actor was diagnosed with the illness in August 2023, but kept his battle under wraps until November 2024. At the time, Van Der Beek revealed that he had "been privately dealing with this diagnosis and [was] taking steps to resolve it" with support from his family, including wife Kimberly and their six children.