When James Van Der Beek announced via social media last November that he'd privately been receiving treatment for Stage 3 colorectal cancer, a generation of Dawson's Creek fans were stunned and devastated. They'd grown up with this guy, and loved how, in his many family-centric social media posts, his real-life persona reflected the earnestness of Dawson Leery offset with warmth, wisdom and a great sense of humor.