A “Dawson’s Creek” co-star has paid tribute to the show’s leading man James Van Der Beek following his tragic passing. Van Der Beek, 48, lost his long battle with colorectal cancer on Wednesday, February 11. It resulted in a huge outpouring of grief and tributes from stars of the entertainment world.
The latest star to express their feelings about Van Der Beek is Kristen Solt. Solt, 30, spent three weeks working with Van Der Beek on the final two episodes of the popular teen drama series around 2003. She played Lilly Leery, the youngest sister of Van Der Beek’s Dawson Leery.
Undoubtedly, one of the most beloved scenes from the show is a deleted scene involving Solt and Van Der Beek. In said scene, Dawson and Lilly watch “Harold & Maude” together, prompting Lilly to ask Dawson, “What’s a soulmate?”
Dawson replies, “Well, it’s like a best friend, but more. It’s the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It’s someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don’t make you a better person, you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever. It’s the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you’ll always love her. Nothing can ever change that. Make sense?”
Solt has been speaking to People about her experience on the show, and how she felt after finding out Van Der Beek was sick, and upon learning he had passed away.
Kristen Solt Praises ‘Big Brother’ James Van Der Beek
GettyKristen Solt told People, “When I learned of James’s diagnosis, I was deeply saddened. And hearing of his passing this week was truly heartbreaking. My mom, sister and I shed real tears.”
She continued, “So many friends reached out to me saying, ‘You were the first person I thought of when I heard the news,’ which was really touching. It’s funny — being on the show has always been my favorite fun fact — but moments like this remind me that it was also something much bigger than that.”
Solt went on, “It meant something to so many people. More than anything, my heart goes out to his family, his loved ones, and to the fans who grew up with him. He was part of so many people’s coming-of-age stories, and that kind of impact lasts a lifetime.”
Regarding working with James Van Der Beek, Solt said, “For three weeks in 2003, I had a big brother. James was simply the best TV big brother I could have ever asked for.”
“In between takes during our few scenes together, he would ask me questions and chat with me. He made me feel comfortable and at ease during those long filming days,” she elaborated.
Solt Recalled Filming Specific Scenes With Van Der Beek
Kristen Solt recalled the pair’s first ever scene together. In said scene, Lilly runs up to Dawson, hugs him, and insists they watch the new DVD of Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” she had just bought. She said, “We filmed that one scene probably upwards of 20 times. That meant I got to run down the stairs and hug James upwards of 20 times! When that scene wrapped filming, and we were walking around on set later that day, I saw James from a distance and ran up to him and gave him another great, big hug.”
Regarding their famous aforementioned deleted scene, Solt said, “I am honestly not surprised in the slightest that our audio continues to go viral. I think it is one of the most beautiful quotes from any television show as it perfectly captures that deep, once-in-a-lifetime kind of connection. A soulmate isn’t someone who fixes you — they awaken something in you that was already there.”
She went on, “I have seen people use that audio over proposal videos, wedding videos, videos of people with their pets, best friends, you name it. It means so much to so many people, and it means the world to me still to this day, years later. I remember filming that scene with James like it was yesterday.”
Solt Took to TikTok Following Van Der Beek’s Passing
In addition to speaking to People about James Van Der Beek, Kristen Solt also took to TikTok to give her thoughts on the actor following his passing.
The 54-second video is captioned, “One of my favorite little pockets of my life, spent with James Van Der Beek 🤍 we gave the world one of the most iconic moments of dialogue ever with “what’s a soulmate” and I’m even more greatful we connected a few years ago on TikTok and I let him know our audio was a fan fav 🫶🏼.”
It begins with Solt saying, “It’s truly my favorite fun fact about myself that I got to work with James Van Der Beek on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ when I was seven years old.”
She goes on to say that everyone on set — including Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson — was kind to her and that Van Der Beek was “a delight.” Solt adds that he was “the brother I never had,” references the iconic aforementioned deleted “soulmate” scene, and recalls sitting in the makeup chair next to Holmes every morning.
Solt ends the video by saying, “I love that James’ memory will forever live on and I get to be a little tiny part of that. Are you kidding me? That’s… that’s amazing.”
Solt Recently Celebrated Her 30th Birthday
Per a post on Kristen Solt’s Instagram account, the actress recently celebrated her 30th birthday. The post is captioned, “a magical start to the new decade 🤍🪄🃏✨🕴🏼.” It features 11 photographs of Solt celebrating the occasion with her family and friends.
Her followers rushed to send her well wishes and pay her compliments on the occasion.
One follower wrote, “Thirty and thriving!!”
Another Instagram user said, “A magical start for a magical girl!”
Someone else commented, “Too cute!!!!🔥🔥🔥”
Finally, one of Solt’s followers simply posted, “Happy bday ❤️🔥.”
According to IMDb, “Dawson’s Creek” remains Solt’s only screen acting credit.
May James Van Der Beek rest in eternal peace.
