Elle marks James Van Der Beek’s final role before his passing in Febuary aged 48, after he was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. In the Legally Blonde prequel, he plays mayoral hopeful Dean Wilson.
After its third episode, the show makes a dedication to the late actor. A title card appears on screen, reading: “In loving memory of James Van Der Beek.” The show follows a young Elle Woods as she is forced to move out of Los Angeles and to live in grungy Seattle.
June Diane Raphael, who plays Elle’s mother on the show, toldPeople working with the Dawson’s Creek actor was “the most meaningful time I’ve spent in my career.”
“I’m so honored to have had that time with him and to have shared those scenes with him,” The Grace and Frankie star said, adding that Van Der Beek was “just so charming and easy, easy, easy to work with.”
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At the show’s premiere in New York City on Tuesday, June 23, co-showrunner Caroline Dries spoke toPeopleabout the late actor.
“James told me that acting allowed him to be someone [else] and forget the pain he was in,” Dries said on the red carpet. “But even off camera, James appeared to be buoyant and happy.”
“He brought his daughters to set, he sat with us on plastic folding chairs in video village, he made us laugh, he told us stories and he showed us nothing but kindness,” she recalled. “This would be James’ last role. Our cast gave him the space to feel that joy.”
She praised how Van Der Beek “effortlessly embraced and elevated” his character in the prequel to the 2001 Reece Witherspoon film.
Chandler Kinney, who plays Elle’s friend Kimberley, also praised the late actor at the premiere. “James was such a beautiful individual and I am so incredibly grateful to have been able to share space with someone like that.”
She added: “He took time with everyone, he always came in with a smile. We got to hang out with his daughters. We bonded over a time on Dancing with the Stars. He’s just a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful human.”
Gabrielle Policano, who plays Liz in the Prime series, told the press he was an “incredible man, an incredible person, an incredible actor, and we were lucky to have him there.”
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