Inside James Van Der Beek's final on screen role before stepping away

James Van Der Beek, iconic Dawson’s Creek star, will appear on TV this last time months after his tragic passing at 48.

He played Dean Wilson in Elle, a prequel to the iconic Legally Blonde movies which is produced by Reese Witherspoon.

The series, however, follows young Elle Woods in high school before Harvard, with Lexi Minetree as Elle.

James’ character is mayoral candidate and school superintendent.

His last scenes, moreover, were filmed in May 2025 and Elle is set to premiere on Prime Video on 1 July 2026.

James sadly passed away on 11 February after a two-year painful battle with colorectal cancer.

His wife, Kimberley, shared that he faced his final days “with courage, faith and grace” and asked for privacy as the family grieves.

She also revealed that the family faced financial struggles as well while caring for him and they have set up GoFundMe to help cover expenses.

James was diagnosed in August 2023 and opened up publicly in November 2024 about the fear and stress of cancer.

He even went on to take an unexpected step by auctioning personal Dawson’s Creek items to help with treatment costs.

All of the stsr’s fans will now remember James not only for his iconic roles but also for his kindness, and courage.