James Van Der Beek is opening up about a painful chapter in his life.
The “Dawson’s Creek” alum shared a candid update about his battle with Stage 3 colorectal cancer, offering fans an emotional glimpse into the strength it has taken him to face each day.
Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed in 2023, shared in a Thursday interview with the “Today” show that life with the disease can feel like a “full-time job.”
“It’s been a journey,” he said. “There are so many ups and downs and so many unknowns.”
Van Der Beek was asked if there were warning signs. He revealed that it was “nothing that made him rush” to get checked, and that’s why he wants to “spread the word” about getting screened, because “you don’t have to have symptoms.”
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A father of six, he shared that after his diagnosis, he “takes things more slowly” and “appreciates every single moment.”
“Post-cancer me is me actually accepting help from people and allowing my friends to show up in my life in a way that I wasn’t because I was trying to be Superman,” the “Varsity Blues” actor said.
He was then asked what advice he would give to fathers who may be on the same medical path that he’s on.
“I’m far from an expert, but our approach was to be as honest as possible,” he said, adding that the honesty with children should be gauged “to the degree of their own understanding.”
He then elaborated on the importance of not robbing your children of the “opportunity to show up for you.”
In the United States, colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.