In the 1990s and the turn of the millennium, actor James Van Der Beek was a rising star in Hollywood. His most famous role was undoubtedly the one in the legendary series Dawson’s World, which dealt with the dramatic coming of age of a group of teenagers.
After Dawson’s World, Van der Beek continued to appear in less famous roles. He started a family with his wife Kimberly and became the father of six children. However, three years ago, a blow came in the form of a diagnosis of colon and rectal cancer. If not diagnosed in time, it is one of the most dangerous forms of the disease. “How come he needed help paying his medical bills,” asks v Saturday text BBC website.
Neither the actor nor his family gave up the fight against the disease and, with the help of friends and fans, tried to finance expensive medical care. Unfortunately, it was not successful, as was definitively shown on Wednesday this week, when the actor succumbed to the disease.
Survivors now face an uncertain future following the death of the father-of-six. Friends of the family tried to help with this, and they started a public fundraiser to support them.
“James’ medical expenses and long-term battle with cancer have left the family financially strapped. They are trying to stay at home and ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time. The support of friends, family and the wider community will mean a lot in the journey ahead,” the statement read. collection on the GoFundMe platform.
In just a few days, over 24,000 anonymous donors contributed to help the widow and children aged 4-15. Together they raised over 2.5 million dollars (over 51 million crowns).
Fighting cancer has become a ‘full-time job’
A few months before his death, Van Der Beek himself spoke about the costs of treatment and financial distress. IN conversation revealed to People magazine that in an effort to raise funds, he publicly auctioned items that accompanied his acting career.
For example, his checkered shirt, which he wore in the first episode of the series Dawson’s World, or the necklace that Dawson gave to the character Katie Holmes in the series came up for auction. Also, for example, the sports shoes that the actor wore when he starred in the movie Varsity Blues from 1999.
“I’ve been hoarding these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them. With all the recent twists and turns that life has thrown my way lately, it’s clear that the time has come,” Van Der Beek said of the auction last November.
After the diagnosis, he continued to work as an actor – apparently in an attempt to qualify for health insurance, which is provided to actors in the US by the Hollywood actors’ union. In 2025, Van Der Beek appeared in two episodes of the TV show Overcompensating.
Whether the roles were enough for him to get insurance from the unions is not known, according to the British public television BBC website clearly. Actors can reach it only if they work 108 days a year or earn at least 28,090 dollars (almost 600,000 crowns) on filming.
As Van Der Beek himself admitted in another interview with People magazine in 2024, fighting cancer and dealing with treatment costs had become a “full-time job” for him.
No money from replays due to bad contract
How points out BBC, in addition to the expensive treatment, a complication for Van Der Beek was also the contract he signed with the creators of the series Dawson’s Life when he was only 20 and starting his career. Under the contract, he agreed to waive the money from the reruns.
“There was no money from the reruns,” Van Der Beek admitted in 2012. “I was 20 years old. It was a bad contract. I had almost nothing.”
At the same time, bonuses from reruns are usually received by Hollywood stars when their films or series continue to enjoy popularity years later. For example, actors from the sitcom Friends, which enjoyed the greatest fame at the same time as Dawson’s life, still earn about 20 million dollars a year (almost 409 million crowns) from reruns.
Van Der Beek thus became one of the roughly 100 million Americans who, according to the latest data, have difficulty paying off medical debt.
Even with health insurance, the treatment of various diseases can become extremely expensive for people in the US. In the case of cancer, the average monthly cost of chemotherapy can reach hundreds of thousands of crowns.
“People simply can’t afford vital, life-saving care without going into debt. When even someone with James Van Der Beek’s means has no choice but to raise money for treatment at fundraisers, it’s clear how fundamentally unfair our health care system is.” cites BBC Eva Stahl, vice president of the nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt, which has paid off the medical debts of nearly 15 million Americans during her tenure.
date:2026-02-14 11:40:00
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