James Van Der Beek was just 20 years old when he shot to stardom as the dreamy lead in the hit teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” He went on to portray memorable characters, including Mox, the principled second-string quarterback in the sports drama “Varsity Blues,” and even a tongue-in-cheek version of himself in the sitcom “Don’t Trust the B — in Apartment 23.”
However, as he matured, the relentless spotlight of Hollywood began to dim. Instead, Van Der Beek found profound joy and fulfillment in his role as a family man, a devoted husband, and a proud father to six children. He graciously invited fans into his home life, effortlessly transitioning into a beloved ‘dadfluencer’ in the process.
For those unfamiliar with his early career, a quick scroll through his social media might not immediately reveal his status as a Xennial icon. His online presence was far more reminiscent of a cherished family photo album than a famous actor’s professional portfolio. Across his various platforms, he humbly described himself with variations like “husband, father, writer, professional make-believer, work in progress.”
On Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, he delighted his three million-plus followers with heartfelt and humorous photos and videos. These included birthday wishes to his growing brood, loving anniversary posts to his wife, Kimberly, glimpses into his family’s outdoor adventures, and more recently, a touching clip of his youngest child uncontrollably giggling as Van Der Beek made silly faces while wearing broken reading glasses.
These posts, which consistently garnered thousands of comments, were often accompanied by thoughtful and warm messages that read like deeply personal letters to his loved ones.
When his daughter Olivia celebrated her 15th birthday in September, he shared a video of her performing in a theatrical production.
“My oldest turned 15 today, same age that Dawson was in the pilot,” he began, recounting a shared memory of attending her first high school football game. “Keep taking big swings, kiddo. Risk imperfection. Keep dreaming big and most importantly, be true to who you are.”
Last Father’s Day, he uploaded a series of radiant family portraits, capturing him and his children beaming and laughing in a sun-drenched field. “Being a father has been the most treasured honor of my life,” he wrote in the caption. “Thank you to my kids for re-teaching me how to live, laugh, love, and show up in my own life and in the world.”
A pinned TikTok post from 2022 featured a selfie video of him hiking with a toddler strapped to his back, older children trailing behind. It transitioned seamlessly into nostalgic photos from his younger days, including iconic stills from “Dawson’s Creek” and “Varsity Blues,” all set to Wheatus’s classic Y2K anthem “Teenage Dirtbag.”
In a 2023 interview with Good Morning America, he described fatherhood as “the craziest thing I’ve ever done, and it’s the thing that’s made me happiest.”
“You undergo that shift from prioritizing yourself to making these little, precious humans you adore your absolute first priority,” he explained. “Then, what you genuinely desire is to nurture them, to ensure their safety, to connect with them, and to feel that pure joy. Your life becomes a shared experience, and your happiness multiplies through their joy in a truly beautiful way.”
On January 25, in his final post before his death, he shared two photos: one of himself embracing his daughter Annabel, and another of his own father hugging her. “My father and my daughter share a birthday today,” he wrote. “At first, I thought that was all they shared — they seemed so different to me. But as the two of you have evolved, and let more of who you are shine through, I can recognize the same open, warm, loving, gentle heart.”