James Van Der Beek Shares Inspiring Cancer Update — and Announces His Return to Acting

Six months after revealing his cancer diagnosis, James Van Der Beek announced his new role in Prime Video’s Legally Blonde prequel series Elle. “So this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit,” the 48-year-old shared on Instagram May 15.

The Dawson’s Creek alum will play Dean Wilson, a mayoral candidate and school district superintendent in the show, about the teen years of the unlikely legal eagle memorably played by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 flick and its sequel. The dad of six joked, “Almost as excited as my wife and girls are that I’m doing this.”

In November, James shared that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer and was receiving treatment. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he said at the time, adding that he was stepping back from work to be with his family.

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Aside from skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S., and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Now active in raising awareness of the disease, James has said, “It’s been an initiation.”