Kimberly Van Der Beek, the wife of the late actor James Van Der Beek, shared a touching photo of James and their daughter, Emilia, in honor of Emilia’s 10th birthday.
James, who rose to fame as film-loving teen Dawson Leery on the beloved WB series Dawson’s Creek, went on to a diverse career with roles in series like CSI: Cyber, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, and Pose. In film, he became a teen idol in Varsity Blues and possessed a terrifying side in The Rules of Attraction. He showed a natural ability to flow between comedy and drama. However, it was his deep bond with his children that touched the hearts of many, and that was in full force in the sweet photo shared by Kimberly.
Pictured leaning on her father as they sat outside by the glow of a campfire, Emilia can be seen smiling as she hugged her dad.
“Just a few heavenly months ago. Missing you my love,” Kimberly wrote over the photo.
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What Did James Van Der Beek Say About Explaining His Health to His Children?
Van Der Beek, who died after a long battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, had spoken candidly about keeping an honest dialogue with his six children about his health.
“I’m far from an expert, but our approach was just be as honest as possible, as honest to the degree of their understanding, right?” Van Der Beek explained on the July 30 episode of TODAY.
That method of being open and honest also went for when Van Der Beek was having a tough day in his treatment regimen.
“Because they know. They can sense that Dad’s having a tough day. They know if Dad’s in pain. They know, and so by not telling them I think you’re confusing them even more,” Van Der Beek continued. “And just allow yourself to be surprised by their resiliency. When you tell them what you’re doing, and you tell them the approach, they can see it and they can feel it, and I think it’s also your journey is their journey.”
The kids also did their best to show up for their dad emotionally, making him tea and asking what he needed to feel his best. Van Der Beek said there’s a lot of beauty that has come out of the difficult experience.
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Related: James Van Der Beek Is Terrifying as a Sinister Pastor in New Trailer for One of His Final Film Roles