James Van Der Beek died at the age of 48 back in February after battling cancer for over two years, but he is set to appear on the 2026 TV schedule because he has a role in the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle. So, now that we're approaching the show's premiere, the late actor was sweetly honored by Elle’s showrunner, Caroline Dries, at the premiere this week, and man, it’s got me emotional.
Van Der Beek, who’s the most beloved for his role on Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, went back to the 1990s (Elle is set in 1995) to play a mayoral candidate named Dean Wilson. Here’s how the Elle showrunner paid tribute to the actor while on stage during the premiere:
