James Van Der Beek was an actor and writer who appeared in television series and films. He was perhaps best known for starring as Dawson Leery on Dawson's Creek. Van Der Beek recurred on One Tree Hill and How I Met Your Mother. He also played a fictionalized version of himself on Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. He starred in and co-created the TV series What Would Diplo Do?, on which he wrote all the episodes. Van Der Beek also competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2018 and The Masked Singer last year.

Van Der Beek's biggest role in film was as Jonathan "Mox" Moxon in Varsity Blues. He also played Sean Bateman in "The Rules of Attraction." His other work in film included giving performances in "Labor Day," "Downsizing," and "Bad Hair."