All James Van Der Beek Movies and TV Ranked by Tomatometer
“I’m mad at the world, Joey. I’m a teenager.” From 1998 to 2003, every angsty adolescent saw themselves in James Van Der Beek’s Dawson Leery, the hopeless romantic dreamer who wanted to be the next Steven Spielberg. Van Der Beek was 21 when he starred in Dawson’s Creek and became a household name overnight, thanks to the show’s breakout success (it didn’t hurt that he was also listed in People magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world).
Van Der Beek would go on to appear in a series of cult classic films, including Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. He returned to TV to guest star in Ugly Betty, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, One Tree Hill, and Medium. Sadly, James Van Der Beek passed away in early 2026 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Celebrate his life by checking out our list, where we rank all of his movies and TV shows, sorted by Tomatometer. — Bryce Marrero
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