DAWSON’S CREEK ACTOR James Van Der Beek has said he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The American actor told People magazine that he had been ”privately dealing” with his diagnosis and taking steps to resolve it “with the support of my incredible family”.
In a post on Instagram, Van Der Beek said he is “in a good place and feeling strong.”
“‘It is cancer…’. Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the 47-year-old said.
“There’s no playbook for how [to] announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms.
“But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
He apologised to the people in his life who he had planned on telling in person rather than through the media.
“Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”
He added: “Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.”
Van Der Beek shot to fame through his role as Dawson Leery in the teen drama Dawson’s Creek. He starred alongside Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams in the show, which ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003.
He also starred in the US teen football drama Varsity Blues, and appeared in Texas Rangers, Scary Movie and The Rules of Attraction.
In December, he will appear in The Real Full Monty. Inspired by the 1997 film, the two-hour special will see a group of male celebrities strip to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
Van Der Beek told People magazine that he is prioritising his time with his wife and their six children.
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