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‘Dawson’s Creek’ alum James Van Der Beek announces cancer diagnosis

▶ Watch Video: New report finds colorectal cancer rising among U.S. adults under 55

James Van Der Beek revealed he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum shared the news on Sunday, telling People that despite the diagnosis, there is “reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

“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,” Van Der Beek said in a statement.

The actor’s rep Whitney Tancred confirmed the diagnosis to CBS News.

The 47-year-old actor did not provide any other details about his diagnosis.

James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek arrives at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum. Symptoms include blood in the stool, changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bloated stomach, unexplained weight loss, vomiting and fatigue.

Despite the diagnosis, Van Der Beek continues to work and will appear next in the upcoming Tubi movie “Sidelined: The QB and Me,” out Nov. 29.

The actor rose to fame playing Dawson Leery on “Dawson’s Creek” from 1998 to 2003. He is married to Kimberly Brook and they have six children.

On Friday, he shared photos on social media of him celebrating Halloween with his family.

23 years later, a ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ sequel is in the works

By CNN
(CNN) — The love fern may be making a comeback.After more than 20 years, a sequel to the hit romantic comedy “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” is in the works, with its original star Kate Hudson attached to the project, sources told CNN.Hudson, who starred in the original film as magazine columnist Andie Anderson, will produce the sequel at Paramount alongside American film producer Stacey Sher, whose production credits include award-winning films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Erin Brockovich” and ‘Django Unchained,” a source close to the project confirmed to CNN.The studio is currently seeking a screenwriter, the source said, and there are no other attachments at this early development stage. Variety was the first to report the story.It remains unclear whether Hudson or Matthew McConaughey, who starred alongside Hudson as advertising hot-shot Benjamin Barry, will reprise their roles.CNN has reached out to representatives for Hudson and McConaughey for comment.Released in 2003, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” follows Andie, a magazine columnist, as she sets out on a reporting assignment to prove she can make a man break up with her in 10 days. Her journalistic experiment soon gives way to a ‘will-they-won’t they’ relationship with Benjamin, who bets his boss that he can make her fall in love with him.The film grossed nearly $180 million worldwide at the time of its release, according to Variety.And the yellow silk Carolina Herrera gown worn by Hudson during the film has since become an iconic visual moment in cinema.In recent years, Hudson and McConaughey had demurely responded when asked whether a sequel was underway.During an appearance on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” in 2024, Hudson was asked whether she’d thought about reprising her role with McConaughey, saying, “I think they’re (studios) always thinking about that.”“All that matters would be the script and if Matthew and I were into the script,” Hudson said. “I think we’re both totally open, it has just never happened.”In June, around the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals win against the San Antonio Spurs, Hudson shared on Instagram two stills from the film of Andie and Benjamin at a game, alongside the caption “Déjà vu.”Just weeks ago, McConaughey revealed that “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days” is his favorite romcom he’s ever worked on.Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz earlier this month, the actor described the 2003 film as the “gift that keeps on giving,” saying it still pays the “best mailbox money of any film I’ve ever done.”News of the sequel comes just months after the box office success of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — another fan-favorite from the early 2000s - which brought back the original cast of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt.Other follow-ups to popular films from the 2000s have also seen colossal success this year –– with the new “Scary Movie” grossing over $231 million worldwide and “Toy Story 5” grossing over $1.128 billion worldwide, according to the box office data tracking site, The Numbers.The development comes as Paramount tries to merge its movie studio and television operations with WBD, the parent of CNN, HBO, Discovery, the Warner Bros. studio and many other assets.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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