‘Today’: Joshua Jackson Says He’s Still ‘Processing’ James Van Der Beek’s Death

Joshua Jackson publicly spoke out about James Van Der Beek‘s death for the first time on Today.

Jackson stopped by the NBC morning show on Tuesday, March 10, to pay tribute to his late Dawson’s Creek castmate, who died at the age of 48 after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer last month. “Have you processed the loss of your friend and fellow costar?” Craig Melvin asked, to which Jackson replied, “I think it hits in a variety of different ways. And so, for me, as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague. So, I think the processing is ongoing.”  (Jackson shares his daughter, Juno, with his ex-wife, Jodie Turner-Smith.)

Melvin went on to note that when he spoke to Van Der Beek for Today in December 2025, the late star seemed “at peace” with his life and where his health journey was headed. Jackson agreed, stating that their time working together on Dawson’s Creek was just a “footnote in what he actually accomplished in his life.”

Jackson continued, “He became what we used to just call a ‘good man’: a man of the kind of belief, the kind of faith that allowed him to face the impossible with grace, and unbelievable partner and husband, just a real man who showed up for his family, and a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father. And so, while on the one hand, that’s beautiful, and I think he did lead a very good life and he was a good man, it is also the tragedy of that, that loss for his family is enormous.” (Van Der Beek is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children.)

Fergus Greer/ Columbia TriStar Television / Everett Collection

Jackson was inspired by Van Derk Beek’s cancer battle to team up with AstraZeneca for a new campaign about the importance of cancer screenings. “I’m at the age [for screenings]. Like so many people, my family has been touched by cancer. Obviously, when James got his diagnosis, and now, I’m thinking about a contemporary of mine going through something like this,” Jackson shared. “And when the AstraZeneca folks reached out — I also have a lifelong connection to hockey — and I didn’t realize the number is 65 percent of people in our age cohort [that] haven’t gone out and gotten tested, haven’t started the conversation. So, that’s where the idea started.”

The campaign features Jackson and the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty, in a pretend doctor’s office. While Gritty assumes they are going to talk about all thinks hockey and Philly cheesesteaks, Jackson reveals they are actually going to talk about cancer.

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“Did you know people are getting diagnosed younger and younger?” Jackson states in the campaign video. “And if you watched me on your screens when I was a kid and you were a kid, then you should be talking to your doctor about which cancer screenings might be right for you.” Jackson ends the ad by encouraging people to visit getbodychecked.com for more information.

On Today, Jackson told Melvin he liked that AstraZeneca “wanted to do something that was a little bit light, ‘cause this is not a fun conversation.” He added, “It’s kind of scary. And so, one of the things that I think is so great about the getbodychecked.com website is that not only will it give you providers in your area, it also gives you a list of questions just to get the conversation started, ‘cause I think it’s so hard. Nobody wants to walk into the doctor’s office and get into these conversations.”

Jackson wrapped up the conversation by stating, “The testing and screening has gotten better, so we have more available options. But it is also true, the earlier you find something, the better your possible outcomes are.”

Today, Weekdays, 7a/6c, NBC