Originally appeared on E! Online
James Van Der Beek is contributing to a cause close to his heart.
The "Dawson’s Creek" alum is set to appear in "The Real Full Monty" — a two-hour special dedicated to raising awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer testing and research — weeks after sharing with the world he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023.
But in the year after receiving his stage 3 diagnosis, Van Der Beek told E! News, “I’m doing great. Feeling good, feeling strong. In a good place.”
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And on Dec. 9, the 47-year-old will strip down onstage alongside Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Tyler Posey, Bruno Tonioli and Chris Jones to help raise awareness and lower the stigma around cancer, encouraging viewers to get screened.
It’s a cause that’s close to the hearts of all those involved, as Anderson noted.
“Unfortunately, we're all affected by cancer somehow, in some way,” the "Black-ish" star explained. “That's how this happened for us, and here we are now forging friendships with one another and over a common goal of bringing awareness to cancer.”
READ: James Van Der Beek Apologizes to Loved Ones Who Learned of His Cancer Diagnosis Through the Media
And for Tonioli — who participated in honor of his fellow "Dancing With the Stars" judge Len Goodman, who died in April 2023 from prostate cancer — participating in the special was a no-brainer.
“We all have one voice in this, you know, just lose your inhibitions, get tested, go to the doctor, because it can save your life,” he said. “And we had a fantastic time doing it. These guys are amazing, and the show is going to be great. But I think the most important thing is saying, ‘Don't be embarrassed. Get checked.’”
And to help spread that message, the six stars learned a striptease choreographed by Mandy Moore, which they then performed in front of a live audience.
As Van Der Beek added, “I think the message that we’re trying to put out to America, is that if we can stand onstage and strip in front of a thousand people, and do this dance, then you know what, hopefully that inspires you to get over that little hump and talk to your doctor. And get the test and get the screening. ‘Cause it can save your life.”
In the weeks since sharing his health battle with the world, Van Der Beek — who is dad to kids Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3, with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek — has been candid about the realities of navigating a cancer diagnosis.
“The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer,” he told People in an interview published Nov. 8. “You think, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things."
But after battling his cancer privately since 2023, Van Der Beek decided to share his news.
“I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly,” he said. “And I've found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness.”
And while the "Varsity Blues" star opted to keep the specific details of his treatments private, he did note he’s explored a wide range of options.
"This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit," he added. "I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’”
