James Van Der Beek opens up about Stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis

James Van Der Beek is opening up about his cancer diagnosis, days after revealing he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

The "Dawson's Creek" star sat down for a new interview with People and discussed the journey he and his family have been on in the last year.

"What do you do when you're staring down a Stage 3 diagnosis? This has been a crash course in [the] mastery of mind, body [and] spirit," he said.

The 47-year-old recalled going in for a colonoscopy in August 2023 after experiencing some symptoms.

"The gastroenterologist said, in his most pleasant bedside manner, 'It is cancer.' And I think I went into shock," Van Der Beek said.

Van Der Beek said he went in for additional scans, which confirmed he had Stage 3 cancer but also offered a bit of a silver lining.

"Found out it was still localized. It had not spread, but it was Stage 3, which is not what you want to hear," he said.

Van Der Beek said his cancer diagnosis ushered in a new and unfamiliar chapter.

"And thus began, the full-time job of having cancer, signing up for all the various medical portals and getting on the phone with insurance and creating appointments ... I was not prepared for just how much of a full-time job that it really is," he continued.

Although the cancer news came as a shock, Van Der Beek said it was also a catalyst and motivating in a sense.

"I really didn't feel like this was going to end me. I really felt like this is going to be the biggest life redirect," he said. "I'm going to make changes that I never would have made otherwise, that I'm going to look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, 'Thank God that happened.'"

In a Nov. 4 Instagram post, Van Der Beek wrote he had "been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in [on his] overall health with greater focus than ever before."

But in the new interview, Van Der Beek said he wanted to speak out now to raise awareness about colorectal cancer.

"I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly because I found a lot of support," the actor said. "But almost more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness."

Colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum, often referred to as colon or rectal cancer based on its location, according to the American Cancer Society, which added that most cases start as polyps -- growths on the inner lining of these organs -- that become more common with age. For that reason, regular screenings with colonoscopies can not only help detect colorectal cancer, but can help prevent it, too, since a polyp can take as many as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer.

In addition to being an actor, Van Der Beek is very much a family man. He is a father to six kids, whom he shares with wife, Kimberly, and whom he said he has relied on even more in the past year.

"I don't get through this without her," Van Der Beek said.

The actor regularly shares updates of his family on his social media platform.

In an Instagram post last week, Van Der Beek is pictured dressed up in a pirate costume while sharing his favorite moment during his Halloween celebration with his family.

"I made all my own costumes growing up," he wrote in the caption. "Didn't really have a choice. But I loved it. Should probably have been the first warning sign to my parents that I would end up an actor 😂."

He continued, "But in a SPIRIT HALLOWEEN world… my six year-old was devastated that her angel costume would not arrive in time for trick-or-treating. After acknowledging the tears, she was given the project of making her own halo, which she worked on for HOURS - wrapping yellow yarn around some garden wire. Focused in a way might not have believed possible. And the look of pride on her face upon seeing the final project in the mirror was, for me… my favorite moment of Halloween. 🎃."

Earlier this year, Van Der Beek shared his proud moment as a dad when his daughter Olivia sang Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" on the television show "We Are Family," which showcases non-famous relatives of celebrities performing duets with their hidden famous family members.

"I'm a very proud papa tonight. My first-born daughter was on 'We Are Family' tonight on Fox," he said in an Instagram video at the time before sharing behind-the-scenes clips, which included sweet moments with Olivia in her first-ever trailer on set, her rehearsal with producers, and Van Der Beek singing along with his daughter as he watched the feed from backstage.

"So proud of my baby girl," he wrote in the caption. "And I call her that because when I watched her tonight, all I could see was the newborn in the bassinet who I could not stop looking at in awe."

Amid his cancer diagnosis, Van Der Beek remains active in his career, recently appearing in an episode of "Walker." He is set to star next in "Sidelines: The QB and Me," a Tubi original film premiering Nov. 29.