| Real Name: | James David Van Der Beek |
| Birthday: | March 8, 1977 |
| Net Worth: | $8 million |
| Height: | 185 cm |
| Occupation: | American Actor |
James Van Der Beek is an American actor. Born in 1977, his most famous role is Dawson Leery in the WB series Dawson’s Creek. The American actor also played a fictionalized version of himself in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. He has more than 60 credits as an actor.
Career Ups and Downs
Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, he started his career at the age of 15. His mother was a former dancer and gymnastics teacher. And his father worked in a cellular phone company.
When he was 15 years old he asked his mother to take him to New York City. There, he wanted to get an agent and try professional acting. For his first role and professional debut, he appeared in off-Broadway show Finding the Sun in 1993. He was 16 years old at the time. James and the production got positive reviews. Ten years later, he again appeared in off-Broadway in the play Rain Dance.
When he was 17 years old and in high school, Van Der Beek appeared in the musical Shenandoah in the Goodspeed Opera House. He made his film debut in the movie Argus in 1995.
James attended Drew University on an academic scholarship. There, he made the all-male Cappella group but dropped out to try acting.
In 1997, he auditioned for three television pilots. One of them was the fledgling WB Network Show Dawson’s Creek. He won the title role and made the debut in 1998. The show was a big success and helped establish the network and the cast. It ran for six seasons worldwide. In 1999, James starred in the teen football drama Varsity Blues.
As a young man, he got selected as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. James also appeared in the movies Scary Movie, Texas Rangers, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
In 2006, James appeared in the thriller The Plague produced by Clive Barker. Dawson’s Creek ended in 2003 and Van Der Beek returned to off-Broadway. He appeared in Rain Dance and then completed an unproduced screenplay titled Winning.
Since then, he made a few appearances on television. He had a short role on Ugly Betty and in 2007, he appeared in a two-part episode of Criminal Minds.
In 2008 he began a recurring role on One Tree Hill. And in January 2010, he got a major recurring role on the television show Mercy. In March 2015, he began his role on CSI: Cyber.
Dancing with the Stars
James was one of the celebrities competing in the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars. He got paired with professional dancer Emma Slater.
James and Emma made it all the way to the semifinals. There, they got eliminated. In the semifinals, James revealed he almost dropped out of the competition. His wife had a miscarriage several days ago.
At the end of the episode, judges eliminated James. Ally Brooke, a singer, continued. She wanted to give the spot to Van Der Beek, but he refused.
Earnings and Income
This might come as a surprise, but James Van Der Beek wealth has nothing to do with Dawson’s Creek. In fact, the actor says the show paid almost nothing during the five-season run. There was no residual money.
At the time James was only 20 years old. And he signed a bad contract. He got almost nothing out of the show. But the show helped him gain recognition. And that helped him land a role in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. That show paid him nicely.
He also played a main cast member on the series CSI: Cyber between 2015 and 2016.
As of June 2020, James Van Der Beek’s fortune is more than $8 million.
Awards and Achievements
James might not be the most celebrated actor. But he does have a couple of awards and nominations on his resume. Here is a quick summary of his achievements.
- Nominated for Favorite Actor, Newcomer by Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Varsity Blues in 2000
- Won Best Cameo in a Movie by MTV Movie Award in 2001 for Scary Movie
- Won Best Breakthrough Male Performance by MTV Movie Award in 1999 for Varsity Blues
- Teen Choice Award nomination in 2012 for Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
- Teen Choice Award winner for Film – Breakout Performance in 1999 for Varsity Blues
Personal Life
Who is James dating? He got married twice. His first marriage was to actress Heather McComb in 2003. The two stayed together until April 2009. And in 2010, he got married to Kimberly Brook. They have five children together. They announced their sixth child in October 2019, but the next month, his wife suffered a miscarriage.
James is a huge fan of the Green Bay Packers.
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