Jack Osbourne has fond memories of his late Dawson’s Creek costar James Van Der Beek.
“I’m doing all right, [but] it’s a sad day, though. Freaking James Van Der Beek died,” Osbourne, 40, said on the Wednesday, March 4, episode of the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast, filmed after the actor’s death in February. “I first met James in, like, 2002 when I was a recurring guest on Dawson’s Creek.”
Van Der Beek starred as the titular Dawson Leery in Kevin Williamson’s Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003. Jack, the son of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, played himself in a handful of episodes when he was a teenager.
“I did two episodes [and I] played Jack Osbourne,” he recalled. “It was, like, Busy Philipps’ character in the show … lived in L.A., and so the backstory was she used to babysit me, and I was looking at colleges. It was some weird crossover thing. I think it was because The Osbournes was so big, and Dawson’s ratings were kind of [declining], so maybe they were trying to do, I don’t know.”
Jack, whose family starred on their own MTV reality TV series in the early 2000s, grew closer to Van Der Beek after the pair shared the screen.
“Our kids were friends,” Jack said of James’ six children with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek. “He had a lot of kids.”
News broke on February 11 that James had died after a two-year battle with stage III colorectal cancer. He was 48.
“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” a statement shared via James’ Instagram read. “There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
In addition to his wife and children, James was survived by his father and siblings.
“There’s a special bond that exists between brothers and two days ago, that physical bond was broken,” James’ brother, Jared Van Der Beek, wrote via Instagram last month. “I now know why people call it heartbreak when you lose someone close to you. There is a feeling of devastation and pain that runs so deep in the heart, I didn’t know it would hurt so badly. He was my person, the one I went to for any and all things. I’ve looked up to him since I was born. He has never failed to be there for me whenever I needed him.”
He concluded at the time, “James, I already miss your physical being and your words of wisdom over the phone. Yet, I also feel your presence so strongly and I know you will continue to be guiding me. Thank you for living your life with me. I love you.”
