James Van Der Beek Celebrates His Daughter Turning the Same Age as Dawson Leery

The actor posted a birthday tribute for his eldest daughter this past Thursday, writing how awed and thankful he was for her and giving her inspiration for the future.

On September 25, 2026, James Van Der Beek penned a heartfelt message for his daughter, Olivia, who just turned 15. He also uploaded a video of her sister and her sister, Emilia, singing alongside the cast of "Dawson's Creek" on stage at a special charity reunion.

In his Instagram post, Van Der Beek wrote, "My oldest turned 15 today. Same age that Dawson was in the pilot." He continued by expressing his awe at seeing her in a red dress at the reunion.

The actor also talked about how she was incredibly independent and someone who could take responsibility for her mistakes.

"Keep taking big swings, kiddo. Risk imperfection. Keep dreaming big and most importantly, be true to who you are," he continued. "Because, while only YOU will know exactly who your most authentic self will be, as someone who’s known you your whole life… I can guarantee you’re going to love her. Happy birthday kiddo. I love you ❤️ [sic]."

Fans immediately took to the comments section of the post. "You’re such an incredibly caring dad – and human being. We love you, James! 🙏🏽," one netizen wrote, while another said, "Love this. She’s pretty remarkable…just like her Dad. Love you all."

Another Instagrammer was moved by the father's heartfelt words, gushing, "James. This is sooo beautiful wow," and someone else praised, "Wow. What an amazing love letter to your daughter. To be truly seen and known by a parent in this way."

On Monday, September 22, the cast of the 1990s series got together for a special reading of the pilot episode. Sadly, Van Deer Beek couldn't participate due to illness.

But his family attended and joined others on stage, as the event was meant to support F Cancer and Van der Beek himself, who is facing colorectal cancer.