‘Elle’s June Diane Raphael on Working With James Van Der Beek in His Final TV Role (VIDEO)

Prime Video’s upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series Elle is giving fans so much to be excited about, and that includes one last chance to see a fresh, new role for beloved television actor James Van Der Beek, who died in February at age 48 from colorectal cancer.

In the eight-episode ’90s-set Elle, which follows a high school aged Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) as she navigates a move from sunny Los Angeles to rainy Seattle, Van Der Beek recurs as the character Dean Wilson. The superintendent of the Seattle school district, Wilson is running a humble campaign for Mayor of Seattle. During his mayoral run, he’ll encounter Elle’s parents, committed mom Eva (June Diane Raphael) and plastic surgeon dad Wyatt (Tom Everett Scott), new Seattleites, who are desperate to mingle with the locals.

Raphael, in particular, had a number of scenes with Van Der Beek, and discussed with TV Insider what it was like to work with him when the series shot in the first half of 2025. “It was such an honor to work with James,” Raphael tell us. “He’s so wonderful in the show, and I’m so excited for his fans to see this. He’s so charming, and he’s so easy to work with, it was a dream.”

 

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She also notes that Van Der Beek, who leaves behind his wife Kimberly and six children, was a family man through it all. “I’m really walking away with these memories of him talking about his family all the time,” she continues. “Anytime there was a downbeat on the set, he’d share stories about his kids and how amazing they are, and what they’re going through. I could just tell the kind of dad he was, and also the kind of husband he was. He would just share the most beautiful things about his wife, and you could tell they were so deeply in love still.”

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“He also brought his daughters to set,” she reveals. “I know that that’s such a big deal as a parent to bring your kids to your work environment, and you want to make sure it’s the right one. So, it’s really special that he felt that this set was so joyful and such a cool world for the girls to see. I’m really honored that I got to share that time with him.”

Elle, Series Premiere, Wednesday, July 1, Prime Video