Busy Philipps has always wanted to watch Dawson’s Creek from the beginning, but after the death of her costar James Van Der Beek, she’s not sure if the timing will ever be right.
“I was thinking about doing a rewatch for myself, you know, like, watching it for the first time, Dawson’s Creek, but I just haven’t yet,” Philipps, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, June 17, while promoting her partnership with Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Qelbree for an ADHD campaign. “And also, you know, it’s hard.”
The actress — who played Audrey Liddell on the last two seasons of the hit series alongside Van Der Beek’s Dawson Leery — noted that her longtime friend’s death was one of many heartbreaks she’s experienced that changed her outlook on life lately. (Van Der Beek passed away in February after a battle with colon cancer. He was 48.)
“I’ve lost several very close friends, far too young, in the last few years,” Philipps shared with Us. “James, obviously being one of them, [a] very public one.”
She revealed, “I think that the perspective shift once you lose one friend is huge. And [it] really sort of instills in you that every day is all you have.”
Phillips explained that loss and grief have led her to realize that “you need to live your life with that understanding and move through the world in a way that reflects that you get that. So I do try to do that.”
She noted that her philosophy on life was unfortunately “informed by losses.”
Philipps added that Van Der Beek’s death also reminded her to “take care” of her health after seeing him speak out about getting screened for colon cancer. (After Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2023 when he was 46, he encouraged others to get tested even earlier.)
“See doctors, get checkups, like, make sure that you’re taking care of your body and your health, and if something feels off, go get it checked out,” Philipps noted.
Van Der Beek announced in November 2024 that he had been diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer, which was detected during a colonoscopy. Amid his health battle, the Dawson’s Creek cast reunited in New York City to read the pilot episode for fans and raise money for F Cancer.
Van Der Beek was set to attend the September 2025 event but had to stay home at the last minute due to multiple stomach bugs. (He taped a message for the crowd that was played in his absence, and his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children were on hand to celebrate the reunion in person.)
“Everybody just came together, and everyone had great ideas and input, and [it was] all hands on deck,” Philipps exclusively told Us in October 2025 of the magical event. “We just really wanted it to be special and something that, even though James wasn’t able to be there, he would feel the love from the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway all the way to Texas.”
Five months later, James’ family confirmed his death, writing in a February 11 social media statement, “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”
“James Van Der Beek was one in a billion and he will be forever missed and I don’t know what else to say,” Philipps wrote in her own Instagram tribute to James. “I am just so so sad. He was my friend and I loved him and I’m so grateful for our friendship all these years.❤️.”
Since his passing, Philipps has continued to use her platform to bring awareness to her own health ailments, shining a light on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Philipps teamed up with Supernus Pharmaceuticals for the role of “Ms. Represented” as part of their campaign aimed at empowering women with ADHD to better understand their symptoms and manage them with the help of Qelbree, a non-stimulant ADHD treatment.
“Part of the reason why I’m so vocal about what my experience has been with [ADHD is] because I feel like so frequently, especially as women, we’re sort put in this position unwillingly to suffer in silence,” Philipps explained to Us. “And there’s just no reason for it, especially now where we do know so much more.”
The Freaks and Geeks alum noted that taking Qelbree “helps” her manage her symptoms, which she pairs with “coping skills” and new research to improve her health daily.
“I just want to encourage people to talk to their own healthcare provider, if some of the things seem like maybe it resonates with them,” Philipps added. “We’re in an interesting time in our lives too, as women who are entering our late 30s or early 40s, because there’s the perimenopause and menopause conversation as well, but it all sort of like directly is linked together.”
Learn more about Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Qelbree on their respective websites.
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