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Michelle Williams recently attended Dying for S*x’s premiere, her new comedy-drama series, when an Entertainment Tonight correspondent asked her about James Van Der Beek. ET’s Rachel Smith asked the five-time Oscar nominee about being in touch with her Dawson’s Creek co-star, who was diagnosed with cancer last year. Williams told
“Yeah we hope that we can all be that [the brightest light to get him through his cancer journey] for him. And yeah absolutely we're in contact and he's in our hearts and our minds. And he knows that and we're here for him in every and always.”
Michelle Williams and James Van Der Beek were among the primary cast members of Dawson’s Creek. The 48-year-old played the titular character in the teen drama, while the Brokeback Mountain actress portrayed the role of Jen Lindley. Michelle Williams’ character is a “new girl” in town during the first season, and her parents send her to live with her grandparents.
Jen Lindley was also a love interest for Dawson Leery during the first season. Williams’ portrayal got critical praise in subsequent years, while Jen was among the fan-favorite characters of the series. In a 2017 story on Dawson’s Creek, The Guardian described Jen as
“The sophisticated new girl who just breezed in from the big city. She was enigmatic, but also damaged and vulnerable.”
The Fabelmans actress, who debuted in the pilot, appeared in 118 episodes across all seasons.
Michelle Williams’Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek revealed his cancer diagnosis in November last year
After facing a private battle, the CSI: Cyber actor spoke to People in November last about his concurrent health struggles. James Van Der Beek told the magazine that he has “colorectal cancer” and added,
“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. [...] There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
A few days later, People published a cover story on the actor, revealing that he was diagnosed at 46 with stage 3 colorectal cancer. James Van Der Beek went public with his diagnosis to “raise awareness” about the disease. He told People,
“I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly. [...] And I've found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness.”
He also spoke about associating cancer with unhealthy lifestyles in the past, but the diagnosis seemingly changed his perception. James Van Der Beek said,
“I’d always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy — or as far as I knew it at the time."
Van Der Beek also shared that he “went into shock” after learning about the diagnosis from the gastroenterologist.
A few weeks back, James also reflected upon how cancer had impacted her marriage and parenthood. The 48-year-old actor talked about the changes the disease brought to his life in a video he posted on his birthday. After talking about the challenging time he has been facing, Van Der Beek concluded on a positive note.
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“I am worthy of God's love simply because I exist. And if I am worthy of God’s love, then shouldn’t I also be worthy of my own? And the same is true for you [the viewers]. And as I move through this healing portal toward recovery, I wanted to share it with you…”
James Van Der Beek ended the video by thanking his viewers for their prayers and love.
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