The late actor’s “Dawson’s Creek” character was a noted fan of the “Jaws” director.

Steven Spielberg, hero to James Van Der Beek’s Dawson’s Creek character, donates $25K to late actor’s family

The late actor's "Dawson's Creek" character was a noted fan of the "Jaws" director.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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February 12, 2026 9:17 p.m. ET

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Steven Spielberg in Los Angeles on Jan. 9; James Van Der Beek in Park City, Utah, in 2020. Credit:

Michael Kovac/Getty; MJ Photos/Shutterstock

- Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw donated $25,000 to James Van Der Beek's family on GoFundMe.

- Other famous donors to the campaign include Jon M. Chu, Derek Hough, and Ricki Lake.

- Van Der Beek's character on *Dawson's Creek* was a noted Spielberg fan.

Steven Spielberg is lending a helping hand to James Van Der Beek's family.

The *Jurassic Park* filmmaker and his wife, Kate Capshaw, together donated $25,000 to the late *Varsity Blues* actor's GoFundMe campaign on Thursday. Their contribution marked the second-highest sum donated to the campaign thus far, with one anonymous donor giving $30,000 two hours later.

Other donors included *Wicked* director Jon M. Chu and *Dancing With the Stars *alums Ricki Lake and Derek Hough.

At the time of writing, the campaign has raised over $1.9 million, well above its goal of $1.5 million.

James Van Der Beek, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their children.

James Van Der Beek/Instagram

Van Der Beek's friends established the campaign to benefit his wife, Kimberly, and their six children after the actor died at 48 on Wednesday after battling colorectal cancer. Kimberly shared a link to the campaign on social media, writing that donors wanted to "support me and our children during this time" and saying that she has both "gratitude and a broken heart."

"In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future," organizer Jason K wrote in the description of the campaign. "The costs of James's medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time. The support of friends, family, and the wider community will make a world of difference as they navigate the road ahead."

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Van Der Beek's most iconic character, Dawson Leery from *Dawson’s Creek*, was an avid Spielberg fan, constantly citing him as his primary influence to become a filmmaker. Throughout the series, posters for a variety of Spielberg's films adorned Dawson's walls, including *Hook*, *Schindler's List*, *The Lost World: Jurassic Park*, *Always*, and *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*.

"Dawson's bedroom was sort of a temple to Spielberg, and so I had to write a letter to him because he retains the rights to all that stuff," *Dawson's Creek* creator Kevin Williamson told ** in 2018. "And I was like, 'Please, Mr. Spielberg, you don't know me, but I was this kid. I had this bedroom. I had all your posters in my bedroom. Can I please present Dawson the way that he really was?' And it was really interesting, he wrote back and he wrote the loveliest response. He was like, 'You can use everything.'"

James Van Der Beek in 'Dawson's Creek'.

Spielberg recently sent a video message to the *Dawson's Creek* cast reunion event in New York City in September.

"Dawson, you made it. Maybe someday, I will get to have a Dawson's closet," the filmmaker said in the video.

Van Der Beek previously said that he got "no residual money" from *Dawson's Creek* due to a "bad contract."

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The actor spent months auctioning off ephemera from *Dawson's Creek*, *Varsity Blues*, and other Hollywood projects to pay for his cancer treatment.

"I've been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it's clear that the time is now," Van Der Beek told PEOPLE in November. "While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore's auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years."

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