James Van Der Beek’s Shockingly Low Pay on Dawson’s Creek Revealed as His Friend Details His Family’s ‘Urgent Need’ For Money After His Death
There’s always this idea when it comes to Hollywood that everyone we see in movies and TV, and anyone connected to them, is probably rich. So, the news that James Van Der Beek was struggling to pay for his cancer treatments and his family has been left in a bad financial position after his death has taken a lot of people by surprise. He was on a lot of stuff we all remember, after all.
But how much money did he make on Dawson’s Creek and his other projects? Was he paid any residuals? Here’s everything we know about his financial situation and that of his family.
How Much Did James Van Der Beek Make on Dawson’s Creek?
Reports indicate that Van Der Beek earned approximately $35,000 per episode in the early seasons of Dawson’s Creek, and that increased to around $175,000 per episode by the final season. However, in a 2012 interview, Van Der Beek indicated he had been left with “almost nothing” to show for his time on the show.
“There was no residual money,” he told Today.com, explaining he “was 20” at the time and presumably not so concerned with saving money. “It was a bad contract,” he explained. “I saw almost nothing from that.”
Van Der Beek signed on to star in Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 in 2012, “when the [“Dawson’s Creek”] money ran out.”
“It is very easy if you have all the money in the world to just sit back and coast,” he told the outlet. “But if you realized that you are going to have to start providing for yourself and for your family, it really forces you to buckle down.”
Actress Rachel True, who appeared on two episodes of the show, responded to the news a fundraiser had been set up for Van Der Beek’s family, saying, “TV shows not on ABC, CBS, or NBC are considered already ‘syndicated’ & all that means they don’t have to pay proper residuals to actors,” she wrote.
“It F’s actors like James out of their deserved financial security & proper legacy ~I did 2 eps of Dawson’s Creek He was a delight.”
The cancer treatments had been getting so expensive in the past few months that in November, Van Der Beek auctioned personal items of memorabilia from Dawson’s Creek to help fund his treatments.
After Van Der Beek’s death, friends set up a GoFundMe to support his family. “In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time,” the page read. It has now raised over 2 million.
“I’m just so happy and grateful that so many people feel moved in their hearts the way that those of us close feel,” designer Erin Fetherston, a close friend of Van Der Beek, told ExtraTV on Thursday, “There is a sincere and urgent need here for the family. They have really been through it, and I just want to thank everyone on their behalf who has given and who may feel inspired to give.”
