James Van Der Beek’s Texas Sanctuary: Inside ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Star’s Austin Ranch Where He’s Battling Colorectal Cancer

"Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek has candidly opened up about his ongoing battle with cancer during a candid sit-down on the "Today" show, while addressing fans' concerns about his appearance at a New York City reunion with the cast of his hit teen drama.

The 48-year-old actor revealed at the end of 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and that he was undergoing treatment at his family's sprawling ranch in Austin, TX, having moved to the property from Los Angeles in 2020.

Now, Van Der Beek has shared new insight into his health struggles during a sit-down with "Today" anchor Craig Melvin, which aired Friday, Dec. 19.

Melvin, who traveled to Texas to meet with the actor at his home, asked the former "Dawson's Creek" star about his gaunt appearance in a video message shared at the show reunion in New York in September of this year, noting that "a lot of folks were worried" by how unwell Van Der Beek looked in the clip.

At the time, Van Der Beek had announced that he would be unable to attend the event because he had contracted a stomach virus, but surprised fans by appearing in a video message—which prompted major concern from some over how thin he was.

"I’d lost so much weight because of the stomach virus, yeah," the actor explained. "No, it was not cancer related. Although with cancer everything’s like, ‘Why don’t we super size that stomach virus?'"

Van Der Beek, who shares six children with his wife, Kimberly, said he was devastated to have missed the event, but noted he was thrilled that his family got the chance to attend in his place.

"As crushed as I was not being able to go to that reunion, my family got to go. And I was Zooming in on that night and they got a standing ovation just for taking their seats," he revealed.

"And all that love that would have otherwise been directed at me, was directed at my family. It was just one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever gotten to witness. I’m just so grateful to the fans for doing that."

The interview comes just over one year after Van Der Beek first revealed his cancer diagnosis, while sharing a series of images of himself taken at his Texas home.

The actor began his Instagram post simply by writing the phrase that he was told by his doctor: "It is cancer..."

He went on to note that he is one of around 2 billion people who receive this devastating diagnosis each year, explaining that he felt forced to rush his announcement because he had learned a tabloid was planning to publish the news about his cancer.

"There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," he wrote in the caption. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.

"I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.

"Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.

"Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support."

The actor's diagnosis comes 26 years after he first shot to fame while starring as the titular character in the hit series "Dawson's Creek," which ran from 1998 until 2003. Following the end of his career-making show, James went on to star in a variety of other series, including "Varsity Blues" and "CSI: Cyber."

He played a fictionalized version of himself in the show "Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23."

However, while James' Hollywood career has continued to flourish, the actor has turned his back on the traditional A-lister lifestyle, eschewing the trappings of Los Angeles fame in favor of pursuing a quieter life on a ranch in Texas.

So long, SoCal

James and Kimberly traded their spread in Beverly Hills for a property in the Hill Country of Texas back in 2020, investing in a sprawling ranch property in Spicewood, TX, a rural town outside of Austin where they would have more than enough room to raise their brood of six kids.

Set on 36 acres, the spread is "more expansive" than their L.A. home and cheaper, to boot, with Kimberly revealing at the time of the move that their enormous home cost less than the amount they were paying to live in California: "I'll tell you a secret: This cost less than it cost to live in Beverly Hills."

Howdy, Texas

Their wooded property includes a main house, several cabins, a pool, and a backyard with views of the Pedernales River.

“The space available in Texas … where we’re at, it’s expansive and there’s a lot of space and I feel that for a big family … it was just really, really necessary for us,” Kimberly said in an Instagram Live session.

According to a story on Realtor.com®, the 5,149-square-foot home the Van Der Beeks are residing in features five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The main house comes with a commercial kitchen, balconies with sky and river views, an outdoor living space with a pool, and a tram to the river. The grounds include a barn perfect for throwing a party.

The waterfront residence is a place to “channel your ‘hippie cowboy,’” notes an old listing. At the time Kimberly had mentioned that they had not yet purchased a property, but instead planned to lease first before deciding if they want to buy in the Lone Star state.

"We're going to try Texas out for a year and really give a lot of love to this property," she said on Instagram Live, according to a story from People at the time.

The "compound," as she calls it, has plenty of room for their family, plus room for guests.

And they seem to enjoy being renters.

"We have incredible landlords, they're magical, so they're really letting us dip into it and really steward the land as if it's our own and go wild with it. Which is really cool," she said.

Bye, Beverly Hills

Indeed, the couple put up their Beverly Hills, CA, home to rent for $12,000 a month before they left for Texas. The two-story Mediterranean, which they had recently redone, was featured in Architectural Digest.

The four-bedroom abode includes 3,134 square feet of living space. The floor plan offers a chef’s kitchen and an oversized living room. And the backyard comes with a guesthouse, wood deck, pool, spa, and built-in barbecue.

During the pandemic, they shared that the home had just gotten a top-to-bottom refresh when the pandemic hit. Then, the couple weathered a series of professional and personal crises, including the loss of Van Der Beek’s mother, a health scare (Kimberly this time), and a business deal gone sour.

After months of sheltering in place, they seemed eager to move not just out of the house—but out of the state.

"Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house," Kimberly posted on Instagram in September 2020. "Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we’ve made here. Onto the next big adventure!"