James William Van Der Beek, Jr. is an American television, film, and stage actor, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in The WB series Dawson's Creek. He is also famous for his website, which includes Van Der Beek himself acting out famous internet memes. Currently, he is playing a fictionalized version of himself on the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. Van Der Beek was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, the son of Melinda , a former dancer and gymnastics studio manager, and James William Van Der Beek, Sr., a cellular phone company executive and former professional baseball... pitcher. He has a brother, Jared and a sister, Juliana . He attended Norton Elementary School, Dodd Junior High School, and the Cheshire Academy. At the age of 15, he asked his mother to take him into New York City to get an agent and try his hand in professional acting. He made his professional debut in the New York premiere of Edward Albee's play Finding the Sun at the Signature Theatre Company in which he played the role of "Fergus". Both he and the production, which was also directed by Albee, received good reviews.
more