James Van Der Beek says he can see ‘finish line’ amid healing phase in cancer battle

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: James Van Der Beek has provided a positive update on his health battle as he continues his cancer journey.

The actor revealed in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in August 2023. Now, he says he is in a healing phase and is looking forward to returning to work soon.

James Van Der Beek says he can see the 'finish line'

Speaking from his Texas ranch in an interview shared on March 20, James Van Der Beek reflected on his recovery progress.

"I'm in a healing portal," he told Extra. "I've done a bunch of stuff and I feel like I can see the finish line," he said.

"It's not the first time I've felt that, but I'm in a healing phase, which is great," he revealed.

The actor also shared his plans for the near future, stating, "I'm going back to work next month. I'm taking this month really to just kind of relax."

James Van Der Beek says wearing the mask on 'The Masked Singer' was 'a really beautiful thing'

James Van Der Beek was revealed to be Griffin on a March episode of the competition show, 'The Masked Singer,' which had been filmed months earlier.

He said the experience held deep meaning for him, especially given his health struggles and he "appreciated the mask."

"I just announced the health issues I was dealing with," said the 48-year-old.

"So to be able to put on the mask and connect with an audience without that being a part of the equation was actually a really beautiful thing," he said.

He was joined onstage by his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children—Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 11, Emilia, eight, Gwendolyn, six, and Jeremiah, two.

James Van Der Beek shares how cancer diagnosis changed his perspective on fatherhood

The actor also spoke about his children's reaction to his appearance on 'The Masked Singer' on a recent episode of the 'Whine Down with Jana Kramer' podcast.

While initially nervous, James Van Der Beek said he chose to be open with his children about his fears.

"They were very excited. I was nervous about it because I hadn't sung in public in a very long time," he said.

"So, I shared with them how nervous I was. I shared with them my fears. Am I gonna lose my voice? Am I gonna sing well enough?" he added.

He also appreciated his children's honest feedback. 

"So, it was really cool to see their reaction to it. And, my 13-year-old son, who's very honest all the time, being like, 'You were better than I thought you would be.' That's like wow, thank you dude. Appreciate that," he said.

Discussing how his cancer diagnosis shifted his outlook, Van Der Beek said, "I couldn't be a father. I couldn't be a husband. I couldn't be a provider. I couldn't be any of these things that I had used as my identity."

"The conclusion that I came to was that even without all that, I'm still worthy of love simply because I exist," he said.

Now, he wants his children to understand that their worth is not tied to what they offer others. "They're worthy of love just for being them," he said, as per People.