James Van Der Beek, widely recognised for his role as Dawson Leery in the popular series ‘Dawson’s Creek‘, has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The 47-year-old actor opened up about his health challenge to People, sharing that he is actively undergoing treatment and remains optimistic about his recovery. The actor, who kept his Cancer battle private until now, said to the portal, “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
The actor expressed a positive outlook while on his road to recovery, adding, “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
The American Cancer Society states that colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum which makes up one’s large intestine.
It is still unclear exactly how long Van Der Beek has been battling the disease.
TMZ reported that the actor is set to appear in ‘The Real Full Monty‘, a two-hour special where he and other big stars will strip down to raise awareness about certain types of cancer. He will bare it all in the show costarring Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Tyler Posey, Bruno Tonioli, and Chris Jones.
James, who is married to Kimberly Brook, is a father of 6. On the work front, he will be seen appearing in an episode of ‘Walker’ and his new film ‘Sidelined the QB and Me’ is currently in post-production.
