Academy Award-nominated actress Michelle Williams has spoken out for the first time since the tragic passing of her friend and former co-star & DWTS alum James Van Der Beek. Van Der Beek passed away on February 11, aged 48, after a brave battle with colorectal cancer.
Williams was speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the 32nd Actor Awards, which took place on March 1, 2026, at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California.
GettyThe actress, 45, starred alongside Van Der Beek in the teen drama television series “Dawson’s Creek,” on which he made his name. Williams played the leading role of Jen Lindley, who was initially a love interest for Van Der Beek’s eponymous character, Dawson Leery. She portrayed Jen for all six seasons of the show from 1998 until 2003 (per IMDb).
While Williams was celebrating winning an award, she took the time to not only remember Van Der Beek, but to thank his fans for the kind, generous, and sympathetic response to his passing.
Williams won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series award for “Dying For Sex,” which airs on Hulu and Disney+.
Michelle Williams Thinks About James Van Der Beek and His Family ‘Constantly’
Entertainment Tonight uploaded a 40-second video of Michelle Williams discussing James Van Der Beek to their official Instagram account, sharing it with their 7.1 million followers.
After saying her children wouldn’t be watching the awards because they believed it was simply “a party with no cake,” Williams spoke with clear and genuine emotion about her former co-star.
She said, “I’m thinking about him and I’m thinking about his family constantly.”
The star continued, “And I also just want to say, like, it’s been such an amazing thing, as James’ friend and a friend of the family, to see the response in the wake of his passing. And I just really, like, want to say ‘thank you’ to each and every person who contributed to sustaining their life and their children’s lives. And it’s an incredibly meaningful thing to witness.”
Williams was, of course, referring to the GoFundMe page that was created to help Van Der Beek’s family cope with the financial burden left behind, following the costly treatment the actor received during his cancer battle. At the time of writing, it has raised over $2.7 million, when its target was just $1.5 million. It truly is testament to how generous people can be.
Fans Noted Williams’ ‘Grace, Respect, and Candor’
GettyEntertainment Tonight’s followers commented en masse on the video, noting how emotional Michelle Williams was and praising her for her words about James Van Der Beek.
One follower wrote, “Her eyes are full of tears and emotions answering this! Bless her! ❤️❤️❤️”
Another individual noted, “Just watching her face makes me wanna cry. She handled that so much better than me because I always think interviewers shouldn’t ask questions like that at events but she handled that gracefully.”
Someone else commented, “She knew that question was coming and she handled it with grace, respect, and candor. She is a class act who privately, and yet still, genuinely loved her co-star, and always will… Just like the rest of us. ❤️🩹”
Finally, one Instagram user simply wrote, “I love her ❤️.”
While Williams’ award proves her class as an actress, her actions and words in the Entertainment Tonight interview prove her class as a human being.
We’d like to congratulate Michelle Williams on her fantastic win. We also hope she’s coping with the loss of her friend.
