James Van Der Beek made a surprise appearance at the Dawson’s Creek reunion after previously dropping out due to illness. In a prerecorded video, which was projected onto the stage, he said: “I have been looking forward to this night for months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together. “And just I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight. It’s just absolutely humbling just how much you did for this night, and I just want to say thank you. He added: “And, obviously, on Dawson’s Creek, I had an understudy, but this is a problem... and, we figured trying to find somebody who had never understudied in this theatre before.”James Van Der Beek is battling cancer and pulled out of a Dawson's Creek reunion due to illness.