US EditionJames Van Der Beek Joins Legally Blonde Prequel 6 Months After Sharing Cancer Diagnosis
- James Van Der Beek joined the cast of Prime Video's Legally Blonde prequel series Elle in 2025, playing Dean Wilson, the school superintendent and mayoral candidate.
- Van Der Beek announced his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2023 and revealed he began treatment while preparing to return to work.
- Elle, created by Laura Kittrell and co-showrun by Caroline Dries, follows Elle Woods in high school, with Lexi Minetree starring as the title character and Reese Witherspoon executive producing.
- Van Der Beek expressed on Instagram and interviews his mixed emotions, describing his diagnosis shock and focusing on healing while excited to join Elle's production.
- Van Der Beek’s participation in Elle suggests his gradual return to acting and public life during recovery, with the series expected to premiere in summer 2026.
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MyCentralOregon.com
James Van Der Beek cast in 'Legally Blonde' prequel, 'Elle'
Kevin Winter/Getty Images James Van Der Beek is joining the cast of the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel, Elle. The Dawson’s Creek actor’s new role in the highly anticipated series was announced Thursday. According to Amazon, he will be playing the city’s new mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent, Dean Wilson. Van Der Beek, 48, took to Instagram to share his excitement over the news. “So, this is exciting… I’m going back to…
James Van Der Beek Joins ‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel Series ‘Elle’ | Just Jared: Celebrity News and Gossip
James Van Der Beek is the latest star to join the cast of Elle! On Thursday (May 15), the 48-year-old Dawson’s Creek actor announced that he has joined the cast of Prime Video’s upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series starring Lexi Minetree as a young Elle Woods. Keep reading to find out more…“So, this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit,” James wrote on Instagram. “Super excited to join this awesome cast in such a fun project. Almost a…
James Van Der Beek joins the cast of 'Legally Blonde' prequel series 'Elle'
Van Der Beek will return to high school as superintendent Dean Wilson, who's also managing a mayoral candidacy.Michael Buckner/Getty James Van Der Beek in January 2020James Van Der Beek is officially going Blonde.The Dawson's Creek star is the latest actor tapped to join Elle, Amazon MGM Studios' new Legally Blonde prequel series. Van Der Beek has been slated for a recurring guest star role as Dean Wilson, the current school district superintend…
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