Saying he was “just left in awe” at his daughter for “confidently taking center stage” at the recent Dawson’s Creek reunion he missed due to illness, Van Der Beek praises the teen as she turns the “same age that Dawson was” in the show’s first episode.
James Van Der Beek is praising his first born, taking a moment to honor her on her 15th birthday.
In a lengthy post shared to his Instagram feed on Thursday evening, the Dawson’s Creek actor celebrated his eldest child with wife Kimberly, daughter Olivia, as she reaches a major milestone in his eyes.
His comments come after Van Der Beek — who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2024 — wasn’t able to attend a reunion benefit show with his former costars earlier this week, citing “two stomach viruses” for his absence.
In his place, Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to play Dawson Leery as the show’s stars — including Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps — did a live reading of the WB show’s pilot.
At the end of the evening, Olivia led the cast in a performance of Paula Cole’s infamous “I Don’t Want to Wait,” the show’s theme song. They were then joined on stage by Kimberly and the rest of six children: daughters, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and two sons, Joshua and Jeremiah.
“My oldest turned 15 today. Same age that Dawson was in the pilot,” Van Der Beek wrote, alongside video of their performance. “To watch you stand there in that red dress, so confidently taking center stage amidst all those people I’ve known so long and cherish so deeply… I’m just left in awe.”
“I’ve always joked that you came out ‘parent proof,’ but this last year, as I’ve watched you accelerate into so many big decisions, jump into so many activities, budget your time, do your homework and your hair (which, from my point of view, seem to require roughly the same amount of time & focus 😂)… the less I think the parent-proof thing is a joke,” he continued in his post.
Sweet Moment James Van Der Beek’s Wife & Kids Stole Spotlight at Dawson’s Creek Reunion
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He then said, “Of course, no one is perfect,” bringing up how she recently made a mistake when it came to tickets for her first high school football game.
“You felt me getting annoyed … you did something remarkable. Something I’d like to THINK you learned from me (but recognize that might be wishful thinking): You immediately took responsibility. Told me it was your first time doing all of it. Apologized succinctly, then did what you could to fix it,” he said, adding that he was “more proud of how you handled the mess-up than if you’d done it all perfectly the start.”
He concluded his message writing, “Keep taking big swings, kiddo. Risk imperfection. Keep dreaming big and most importantly, be true to who you are. Because, while only YOU will know exactly who your most authentic self will be, as someone who’s known you your whole life… I can guarantee you’re going to love her. Happy birthday kiddo. I love you ❤️”
In the comments, wife Kimberly also added, “Our first born baby 😍❤️”
See more highlights from the Dawson’s Creek reunion here — and check out photos below!
