Following the heartbreaking news of James Van Der Beek’s death on Wednesday at 48, there’s a bright spot that has emerged: Fans will be able to see him in his two final roles and, potentially, a memoir could be released.
Van Der Beek will recur in the upcoming Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios series Ellea prequel to the hit movie Legally Blondepremiering on July 1. He will play Dean Wilson, the city’s new mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent.
Created by Laura Kittrell,Ellefollows young Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) through high school as viewers learn about the life experiences that shaped her. The series is set years before the events in the first movie, which kicked off as Elle (Reese Witherspoon) graduated from college and headed to Harvard Law to pursue a legal career.
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“James Van Der Beek began his career as a beloved teen icon, and audiences have connected with his breadth and depth of work ever since. He was a husband, father, consummate professional, and, most recently, a vocal advocate for cancer awareness. We are proud to have worked with him as a creative partner onOvercompensatingand the upcomingElle,where his gift for comedic timing led to memorable performances. We are deeply saddened by his passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans,” reads a statement on behalf of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.
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Sources tell Deadline that Van Der Beek had been quietly working on his memoir between work on Ellehis appearances on Fox’s The Masked Singer and Prime Video’s Overcompensatingin addition to the quality time he was spending with family and staying connected to friends and fans. It is unknown at this time how far he got into writing, or if there are any plans to publish posthumously.
Additionally, Van Der Beek had a role in the feature The Gates, which will debut next month from Lionsgate Premiere, the studio’s specialty arm, in select theaters on March 13.
The film’s writer-director, John Burr, shared a statement with Deadline.
“Before all else, I want to send sympathy and love to James’ family; his wife, Kimberly, and his children, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah. Thank you for granting us the precious time with him that we had,” said Burr.
Adding, in part, “We were incredibly fortunate to have worked with him on this film. He brought experience and perspective to the role, and he built profound relationships with his fellow cast members and with the crew. And while he was deeply dedicated to his performance as the flawed, amoral antagonist of our story, between scenes he effortlessly morphed back into the grounded, charming conversationalist he was at his core.”
Of their conversations in the last few months, Burr recalls sharing periodic texts with Van Der Beek, “His words were filled with energy and punctuated with exclamation points even as his health must have been in decline.”
Van Der Beek’s breakout role was in the 1998 hit teen drama Dawson’s Creekcreated by Kevin Williamson. He starred opposite Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson across the show’s six seasons. His notable roles also include the films Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attractionamong many others.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their four daughters and two sons. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with his family’s living expenses.
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