“Dawson’s Creek” Star Speaks About James Van Der Beek at “Heroes Gala”

James Van Der Beek’s death in early February was a sobering reminder to many. Life can change in an instant, so we must cherish every moment. Though James had been living in Texas with his wife and six children, the impact he made as a younger man in Hollywood remains. On October 3, 2026, “Dawson’s Creek” producer Greg Berlanti held the third annual Barbara Berlanti “Heroes Gala,” in honor of his mother, who died from cancer. This year, the organization honored “Dawson’s Creek” Kevin Williamson for the work he did to support James and his family following his diagnosis. Joshua Jackson presented Kevin with the award and teared up talking about James Van Der Beek, according to People.

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Joshua Jackson and James Van Der Beek grew up together on TV and behind the scenes. His death crushed the actor.

“In the days before we went on stage to do this reading to support James, his health took a turn, and Kevin opened up not only his heart for making sure that everybody was okay, but also his wallet to make sure that we were able to honor James and honor his family at this event in truly the most amazing way possible, to allow his children to be in a room filled with people there to celebrate their dad as they had seen him go through what he was going through with humility and grace and to see the love for him that existed outside of their family,” Joshua said.

Kevin Williamson accepted the award with humility.

“I think he’s here with us tonight. He’s going to be with us for always. He’s awesome, and so I can’t pretend I’m worthy of any award, but I will accept it. I’ll accept it in memory of my mother. I will accept it in memory of James Van Der Beek, and I will accept it for the entire ‘Dawson’s Creek’ family,” he said.

This story’s featured image is by Kevin Mazur/WireImage