Actor James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek fame has revealed that he’s being treated for colorectal cancer.
“I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” the 47-year-old star told People. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
The diagnosis has not slowed him down; he’s been working and travelling with his wife and six children while he navigates treatment, People reported.
The actor is among several male celebrities appearing in a two-hour special on Fox, The Real Full Monty, a riff on the 1997 British comedy The Full Monty, in which a group of unemployed men do a Chippendales-style striptease to make some extra cash.
In addition to Van Der Beek, The Real Full Monty features Taye Diggs, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, Dancing With The Stars judge Bruno Tonioli and other similarly afflicted men.
They, too, will do a striptease, with this one aiming to increase awareness around prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer, and urge people to get tested. Produced by Anthony Anderson of Black-ish, the special will air Dec 9 in the US, according to Variety.
“Don’t die of embarrassment. Get checked! That’s the message behind The Real Full Monty special,” Anderson said in a statement, according to People. “I am honoured to lead the charge of rallying these fearless men to bare it all, in order to provoke, inspire and, in this case, beg you to get screened for cancer.”
Van Der Beek did not divulge details of how his disease was discovered.
He is continuing to work, with a recent guest-starring role on Walker, and is set to appear in the Tubi streaming service’s romance film Sidelined The QB And Me.
Colorectal cancer – when malignant cells form in the tissues of the colon or rectum – is the third leading cause of cancer death in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The number of new cases among people ages 50 and older dropped slightly between 2011 and 2019, but it has been rising in those younger than 50. Caught early, the disease has a 90% or more five-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
