Katie Holmes Remembers 'Dawson's Creek' Costar James Van Der Beek After His Death

Katie Holmes honored her "Dawson's Creek" costar James Van Der Beek in a moving handwritten letter following his death Wednesday.

Check out the note she shared on Instagram -- she recalls feeling safe to express herself on set with him ... and adds they have so many memories filled with "laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs" and "adventures of a unique youth."

She also commends his "compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength" before turning the note toward his widow, Kimberly, and their 6 children. She writes ... "We are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion."

Katie and James starred on "Dawson's Creek" together between 1998 and 2003. James' titular character of Dawson was an aspiring filmmaker whose love interest was Holmes' Joey Potter.

Katie is just one of the dozens of celebrities to honor James following his death -- their costars Busy Philipps and Kerr Smith, along with actresses Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, and so many more made sure to remember his life and legacy.

TMZ broke the sad news -- James died Wednesday morning, and his family swiftly confirmed his peaceful passing. He had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in mid-2023, and he went public with his diagnosis in November 2024.

The "Varsity Blues" star left behind his wife and their 6 young kids, who are set to be the beneficiaries of a hefty GoFundMe created by friends of the family for Kimberly, reasoning his costly cancer treatments wiped out their funds. It surpassed $1 million within hours of his death announcement and keeps climbing.

James was 48.

RIP.