James Van Der Beek Details “Hardest” Factor Amid Stage 3 Cancer Battle

James Van Der Beek is getting used to the unknowns that accompany his cancer diagnosis.

The Dawson’s Creek alum, who’s been privately battling stage 3 colorectal cancer since 2023, opened up about navigating this difficult chapter.

“The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer,” he told People in an interview published Nov. 8. “You think, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things.”

The 47-year-old, who lives in Texas with his wife Kimberly, 42, and their six kids, Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3, noted that he’s relieved to be open about his diagnosis.

“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,” he said. “And I’ve found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness.”