James Van Der Beek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Van Der Beek
Van Der Beek at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in 2025
Born	James David Van Der Beek (1977-03-08) March 8, 1977 (age 48) Cheshire, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Cheshire Academy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–present
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Spouse(s)	Heather McComb ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2010)​ Kimberly Brook ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	6

James David Van Der Beek (born March 8, 1977) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Dawson Leery in the TV show Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. He also played a funny version of himself in the TV comedy Don't Trust the ... in Apartment 23 (2012–2013). Later, he starred as FBI Agent Elijah Mundo in CSI: Cyber (2015–2016). He also appeared in the drama series Pose in 2018.

James Van Der Beek has been in many movies too. Some of his film roles include Varsity Blues (1998), Texas Rangers (2001), and The Rules of Attraction (2002). He also appeared in Labor Day (2013) and Bad Hair (2020).

Early Life and Family Background

James Van Der Beek was born in Cheshire, Connecticut. His mother, Melinda, was a dancer and gymnastics teacher. His father, James William Van Der Beek, worked for a phone company and used to play baseball. James has family roots from the Netherlands, Germany, England, Scotland-Ireland, and France. His last name, Van Der Beek, means "from the creek" in Dutch.

James Van Der Beek's Acting Journey

Starting in Theatre

James Van Der Beek began acting in middle school. He played Reuben in a play called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. When he was 15, he decided he wanted to act professionally. He asked his mom to help him find an agent in New York City.

At 16, he made his first professional appearance in a play. It was called Finding the Sun and was performed off-Broadway in New York. He played a character named Fergus. Critics liked his performance and the play. Ten years later, in 2003, he acted in another off-Broadway play called Rain Dance.

While still in high school, at age 17, he performed in the musical Shenandoah. He also made his first movie appearance in Angus (1995). He had a small part in the independent film I Love You, I Love You Not (1996).

James went to Drew University on a scholarship. He joined an all-male singing group there. However, he left college when he got the main role in Dawson's Creek.

Television and Film Roles

In 1997, James Van Der Beek tried out for three TV shows. One of them was for a new show called Dawson's Creek on The WB network. He won the main role of Dawson Leery. When the show started in 1998, it became very popular. Dawson's Creek ran for six seasons and was shown all over the world.

In 1999, he starred in the movie Varsity Blues, a drama about high school football. The movie was very successful and was number one at the U.S. box office for two weeks. James won an MTV Movie Award for his role in it.

Around this time, People magazine named him one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." He appeared in other films like Texas Rangers and Scary Movie. In 2002, he played Sean Bateman in The Rules of Attraction. This movie later became a cult favorite on DVD.

After Dawson's Creek ended in 2003, James continued to act. He made guest appearances on TV shows like Ugly Betty and Criminal Minds. In Criminal Minds, he played a complex character named Tobias Hankel. He also appeared several times on How I Met Your Mother as Simon, an old boyfriend of Robin Scherbatsky.

From 2008 to 2009, he had a recurring role on One Tree Hill. In 2009, he played a real-life kidnapper in the TV movie Taken In Broad Daylight. That same year, he won Best Actor at the San Diego Film Festival for his role in the movie Formosa Betrayed. In this film, he played an FBI agent working in Taiwan.

In 2011, James Van Der Beek was in Kesha's music video for her song "Blow". He then starred as a funny version of himself in the TV series Don't Trust the ... in Apartment 23. Critics praised his comedic timing in the show. Even though it was canceled after two seasons, it remained popular.

From 2015 to 2016, he was a main cast member on CSI: Cyber, playing Senior Field Agent Elijah Mundo. In 2017, he appeared in the British comedy series Carters Get Rich. He also lent his voice to the character Boris Hauntley in the Disney Junior cartoon Vampirina.

James Van Der Beek also helped create, write, and produce a show called What Would Diplo Do?. In this show, he played the famous DJ Diplo. This was his first time being a "showrunner," which means he was in charge of the whole series. The show received good reviews.

In 2019, James joined the cast of Pose on FX for its first season.

Dancing with the Stars

In 2019, James Van Der Beek competed on the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars. He danced with professional dancer Emma Slater. He was a surprisingly good dancer and often scored high. Many thought he would win, but he was eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing in fifth place.

The Masked Singer

In 2025, James Van Der Beek appeared on season thirteen of The Masked Singer. He performed as "Griffin," a character with large wings. During the show, there was a hint about an illness he had. He was eliminated in the "Group B Finals." As a special surprise, his wife Kimberly Brook and their children joined him on stage.

Personal Life and Family

James Van Der Beek was married to actress Heather McComb from 2003 to 2010. They separated in 2009, and their divorce was finalized in 2010.

On August 1, 2010, James married business consultant Kimberly Brook. They had a small wedding in Tel Aviv, Israel. James and Kimberly have six children: four daughters and two sons. In September 2020, they announced they were moving their family from Los Angeles to Texas.

In November 2024, James Van Der Beek shared that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer on August 31, 2023. He stated that he has been dealing with this privately and taking steps to resolve it with his family's support.

Filmography

Television Shows

Movies

Awards and Recognitions

James Van Der Beek has won several awards for his acting.

MTV Movie Awards

Teen Choice Awards

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

San Diego Film Festival

NewNowNext Awards

See also

In Spanish: James van der Beek para niños