James Van Der Beek

James Van Der Beek, best known for playing Dawson Leery in the '90s teen drama Dawson's Creek, "passed peacefully," his family said, on Feb. 11 at age 48, after a battle with colorectal cancer.

- Chad de Guzman

Dawson's Creek, which premiered in 1998 and ran for six seasons, was considered a pioneer in American teen television and helped cement Van Der Beek's st