James Van Der Beek diagnosed with cancer: There’s Reason for Optimism, and I’m Feeling Good” (Exclusive) James Van Der Beek, 47, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The actor exclusively tells PEOPLE, “With the support of my amazing family, I’ve been taking steps to resolve this diagnosis, which I’ve been dealing with privately.”
PEOPLE can confirm that James Van Der Beek has colorectal cancer.
“My cancer is colorectal. The 47-year-old actress exclusively tells PEOPLE, “I’ve been dealing with this diagnosis in private and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
Van Der Beek continues, “I’m feeling good, and there’s reason to be optimistic.”
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum, which comprise the digestive system’s large intestine.
Van Der Beek has been actively managing his treatment despite the diagnosis.
He most recently had an appearance in an episode of Walker, and on November 29, he will feature in the Tubi original movie Sidelined: The QB and Me.
Additionally, Van Der Beek has made time for his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children—Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah—a priority.
The group had an amazing vacation to Egypt back in June. The Varsity Blues alum posted pictures of himself and his family on Instagram, including them posing with a camel and admiring the Egyptian pyramids.
“#Egypt ‘Wow’ is the word that comes out of my lips the most out of all my vocabulary. Van Der Beek captioned the photo, saying, “We were given a magical experience, one I’m still processing – and might be for the rest of my life.” “The kids were rock stars, my friends became brothers, and despite all the travel and time zone crossing and early-morning alarms, I feel recharged.”
Van Der Beek will make an appearance on The Real Full Monty later in December. This two-hour show features a collection of male celebrities stripping down to promote testing and research for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer.
In addition to the celebrity, the special will have veteran Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli, Chris Jones, a defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, and fellow actor Taye Diggs.
Anthony Anderson will serve as executive producer of the event, which is based on the Oscar-nominated 1997 movie The Full Monty.
Regretfully, I believed that I was only supporting cancer and doing Anthony Anderson a favor. Diggs recently told PEOPLE about the program, “But once we got there and we really started talking about these issues, everyone started opening up and we got to know each other on a different level.”
On December 9, The Real Full Monty will debut.