James Van Der Beek is not a fan of his kids watching Dawson’s Creek, the popular teen romance film in which he plays the titular character, an aspiring filmmaker obsessed with movies. His character, Dawson Leary, was known not only for his obsession with Steven Spielberg, but also for his close friendships and exciting romantic entanglements. However, Van Der Beek, who played a teenager struggling with puberty on the show, admitted that he did not want his children to perceive him that way.
During his appearance on The View on Wednesday, December 4, the 47-year-old actor discussed his recent colorectal cancer diagnosis and family life. Reflecting on his time on Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek revealed that he doesn’t let his kids watch the beloved teen drama series.
“I don’t,” he said. “It’s a great show; I love the show; I think other kids can see that too. I don’t think my kids need to see their dad pretending to be young. This is my stance.”
Acknowledging the show’s massive success, the Varsity Blues star described it as a well-intentioned series where the characters tried to do the right thing and talked candidly about their struggles to do so.
Despite her efforts, Van Der Beek could not completely protect her children from Dawson Leary. In 2022, he revealed that his eldest brother once teased him with a meme of his Dawson’s Creek character during a disagreement.
Van der Beek shares six children with his wife Kimberly: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabelle, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3. The couple, who married in 2010, share their Welcomed the first child. Same year.
Van Der Beek told People in his November cover story that only one of his six children was 100% planned, but he takes the rest of his children as blessings, realizing that there are many such couples. Those who do not get the same experience.
Several years before being diagnosed with cancer, the actor had undergone a vasectomy. Van Der Beek and Kimberly also revealed that she suffered five miscarriages during their marriage, two of which were late and near-death experiences.
“We’ve weathered a lot of storms together,” Kimberly shared.
Regarding her husband’s battle with cancer, she described the past year as “really difficult” but said it taught her family to savor life passionately and find beauty in all aspects of it.
Also read: James Van Der Beek shares heartfelt thank you post reflecting on his cancer journey: ‘Been a tough year…’
