James Van Der Beek has unfortunately had to drop out of the upcoming Dawson’s Creek reunion.
The 48-year-old actor, who played Dawson Leery, was set to reunite with his co-stars for a live reading of the pilot episode as part of a benefit for his own cancer journey.
However, the night before the reading was to take place (on Monday, September 22nd), James took to social media to announce he can no longer attend due to illness, and he revealed the actor who will step in to read his lines.
Keep reading to find out more…
“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January…” James shared on Instagram. “So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment.”
“Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there. I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most,” the actor continued, before going on to reveal his replacement.
“But I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient,” James wrote. “The role of ‘Dawson’, usually played by James Van Der Beek… Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.”
“Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin,” James concluded. “And thank you @lin_manuel . You were a hero to my kids before… today you’re a demigod 😇”
The Dawson’s Creek staged reading will take place at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where Lin-Manuel‘s anthem musical Hamilton is housed.
In case you missed it, find out which other Dawson’s Creek stars are taking part in the reading, which is benefitting James and F–k Cancer, a non-profit which focuses on “prevention, early detection, and supporting those affected by cancer.”
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