James Van Der Beek Pens Emotional Birthday Tribute To His Daughter Following Her Performance At The Dawson’s Creek Reunion

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It’s been a memorable week for James Van Der Beek and his family. Though he was sick and couldn’t attend a *Dawson’s Creek* reunion with Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes, and others, his family stepped in to represent him – his eldest daughter even performed! Shortly after, he shared a heartfelt birthday message for his daughter Olivia, which many fans felt perfectly mirrored his famous crying meme from the show.

Olivia is the oldest of six children James Van Der Beek shares with wife Kimberly, and the man known for playing Dawson Leery for six seasons on the WB took to Instagram to praise her performance at the Dawson’s Creek reunion and acknowledge her personal milestone. Olivia turned 15, which is quite meaningful to her dad — it’s how old Van Der Beek’s character was in the Dawson’s Creek pilot. James wrote:

Today my oldest child turned fifteen – the same age as Dawson was when the show began. Seeing them standing there in that red dress, so poised and confident while being the center of attention with all those people I love… it truly takes my breath away.

James Van Der Beek recently shared that he unfortunately couldn’t make the reunion because he’s been dealing with a challenging health situation. He announced in November 2024 that he has Stage 3 colorectal cancer, and this week, he also came down with two stomach viruses.

Kimberly Van Der Beek brought their whole family – six kids including Olivia (15), Joshua (13), Annabel (11), Emilia (9), Gwendolyn (6), and Jeremiah (2). As James shared in a long birthday message, their oldest, Olivia, performed a solo while the group sang Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait,” the well-known theme song from the show.

James Van Der Beek went on to share a heartwarming story about how proud he is of his daughter, even when she makes mistakes. He playfully reminded her that his famous character, Dawson, wasn’t perfect either, and encouraged her to always stay true to herself.

Don’t be afraid to take chances and don’t worry about being perfect. Keep dreaming big, and always stay true to yourself. I’ve known you your whole life, and I promise you’re going to become someone you truly love. Happy birthday, sweetheart! I love you ❤️

Okay, fair warning, I might need a moment to collect myself after seeing James Van Der Beek’s heartfelt post. And seriously, go check out Olivia’s performance – it’s incredible, especially sharing the screen with her sister, Emilia. Prepare to be moved!

Although fans were understandably upset that James Van Der Beek couldn’t attend the reunion – a charity event for F Cancer that also celebrated him – and perform a live reading of the original script, many felt his heartfelt reaction to a moment involving his daughter was a lovely substitute.

You can watch all six seasons of *Dawson’s Creek* on Hulu with a subscription if you’re looking to revisit your favorite episodes.

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2025-09-26 17:09