James Van Der Beek Honored by Elle Series Following Final Role

The Prime Video series Elle paid tribute to the late James Van Der Beek following his final onscreen performance. The actor, who died in February 2026, appears in the Legally Blonde prequel as school superintendent Dean Wilson. A title card reading “In loving memory of James Van Der Beek” appears at the end of the episode in which his character first appears.

e Hollywood Reporter, the dedication appears after the third episode, titled “You’re Not the Girl I Thought You Were.” In the series, Van Der Beek’s character is running for mayor and befriends Elle’s mother, Eva Woods, played by June Diane Raphael. His storyline concludes with his arrest after Elle exposes an extortion scheme.

What did his costars say about him?

June Diane Raphael, his onscreen scene partner, emphasized it was “such an honor” to work with him. She told E! News she was struck by his devotion to his family. “Between every set up, between every small pause in filming, he’d tell me about his kids and all of their different likes and dislikes and where they were in their lives,” Raphael recalled. “He was just so enamored with Kimberly.”

Raphael added that she believes “he gives a beautiful performance in the show.” Noah Beck, who played his onscreen son in other projects, also praised him to THR last year. “With James, he has such a presence to him, and you can’t not be present in a scene with him,” Beck said. “I learned so much, and I’ve just felt like I had this front row seat to such an acting masterclass.”

What were his final projects?

Van Der Beek's final onscreen roles were in the film The Gates, which released in March 2026, and Sidelined 2: Intercepted, which came out in November 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also appeared in Sidelined: The QB and Me in 2024. The actor's wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, announced his passing in February 2026, stating he “met his final days with courage, faith and grace.”

Executive producer Reese Witherspoon shared her condolences on Instagram at the time, writing, “Devastated to hear about James Van Der Beek. What an extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action.” The memorial in Elle serves as a public capstone to a career that spanned decades, most famously defined by his role as Dawson Leary on Dawson’s Creek.

Sources

• The Hollywood Reporter
• E! News