James Van Der Beek, best known to many as Dawson Leery from his breakout role in the late-’90s drama Dawson’s Creek, died at the age of 48 on Wednesday. Although to many he will forever be Dawson, an aspiring teen film director, Van Der Beek, who battled colorectal cancer, built an impressive, varied career in the entertainment industry.
In his last on-screen role, the actor played Dean Wilson, the school district superintendent and mayoral candidate in Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel series set to premiere on Prime Video on July 1. Here’s a look back at seven of Van Der Beek’s best roles.
Two shows, CSI: Cyber, in which he played FBI Special Agent Elijah Mundo, and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, in which Van Der Beek played a fictional version of himself, are currently unavailable to stream anywhere.
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