Reese Witherspoon has paid tribute to James Van Der Beek, whose upcoming Legally Blonde prequel TV series Elle will be her last on-screen role.
Van der Beek passed away on Wednesday after battling colorectal cancer since August 2023. Van der Beek filmed a scene for Elle last year, and this will be her last appearance in a TV series.
Witherspoon, who is an executive producer on Elle, said on her Instagram Story that she was “shocked” to hear of Van Der Beek’s death.
“What an extraordinarily talented man, who showed great kindness and grace in everything he did,” she wrote alongside a photo of him.
“We pray that all the angels will be watching over his family during this difficult time,” she added.
“Elle” will depict the high school years of Elle Woods, the iconic protagonist of “Legally Blonde,” originally played by Witherspoon.
Van Der Beek plays Dean Wilson in the first part. Variety describes him as “the city’s new mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent.”
“ELLE” will be premiered on Amazon Prime Video from July 1st.
Since Van Der Beek’s death, there has been an outpouring of love from his past co-stars and friends, including “Dawson’s Creek” stars Kerr Smith and Busy Philipps.
Smith, who played Jack McPhee from seasons 2 to 6, posted on Instagram: “I’m so grateful to call James my brother. I’ll miss him so much. Rest easy.”
Phillips, who joined Dawson’s Creek as Audrey Liddell at the beginning of Season 5 in 2001 and also co-starred in the Season 2 premiere of Don’t Trust the B-23, said: “My hearts are broken today for all of us…everyone who knew and loved James. But I am also deeply heartbroken for his wonderful wife, Kimberly, and their six magical children.”
Kimberly announced her husband’s death on Wednesday, saying he “passed away peacefully.”
“He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” she said. “There is so much to share about his wishes, his love for humanity, and the sanctity of time. That day will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve for our beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
James and Kimberly have been married for 15 years and have six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 13, Annabelle, 12, Emilia, eight, Gwendolyn, six, and Jeremiah, three.
Friends of the couple have set up a $500,000 GoFundMe to help Kimberly and her children, as the medical costs associated with James’ illness are putting financial strain on the family.
“Kimberly and her children face an uncertain future in the wake of this loss,” the GoFundMe page reads. “James’ treatment costs and long battle with cancer have left his family without funds.”
“They are working hard to ensure they can stay home, continue their education, and maintain some stability for their children during this incredibly difficult time,” the page continues.
