James Van Der Beek Net Worth

What is James Van Der Beek's Net Worth and Salary?

James Van Der Beek is an American actor who has a net worth of $8 million. James Van Der Beek is probably best known for playing Dawson Leery in "Dawson's Creek." Outside of this memorable role, James has racked up a number of additional credits in both film and television roles.

Every actor wants to star on a hit show.  It's like the Holy Grail of the television universe, and takes a special combination of the right writers, directors, actors, marketers, and network to make it happen.  If it does happen, it can totally change your life.  For James Van Der Beek, winning the lead role on a little show called, "Dawson's Creek", was a life-changing experience.  He began acting in his teens, primarily focusing on theater work, and had appeared in multiple major regional productions by the time he started college.  He subsequently dropped out of school to focus on his acting career, and the first job he booked was "Dawson's Creek".  The show was a massive success, and launched the careers of everyone involved, including Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams. The series ended after six seasons.

The next few years saw him appearing in straight-to-DVD films and guest starring roles on assorted television shows. In recent years he has starred on a number of TV shows, playing recurring roles on such shows as "Criminal Minds" and "How I Met Your Mother". He co-starred on the short-lived, but well-reviewed series, "Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23".

Early Life

James David Van Der Beek was born on March 8th of 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut. His father was once a professional baseball pitcher and later became an executive for a cell phone company. His mother was once a professional dancer and gymnastics teacher. The last name "Van Der Beek" is Dutch, and it translates roughly to "from the creek."

When James was 15, he convinced his mother to take him to New York City so that he could pursue his dream of becoming a professional actor. He immediately found success in various stage productions, booking roles on off-Broadway plays such as "Finding the Sun" and "Rain Dance."

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Career

Van Der Beek's career began in earnest while he was still in high school, and he landed roles in films like "Angus" and "I Love You, I Love You Not." He also continued to appear in stage productions such as "Shenandoah" and "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine." He briefly attended Drew University after graduating from high school but quickly dropped out to pursue an acting career. Further movie roles came with "Cash Crop."

In 1997, James auditioned for "Dawson's Creek" and booked a major role in the pilot. The pilot was approved, and it ran for six seasons to great success. His success in television helped him become more well known, and he subsequently booked roles in films like "Varsity Blues." Over the next period, he continued to appear in major movies such as "Texas Rangers," "Scary Movie," and "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back." In 2002, he appeared in the film "The Rules of Attraction," which later became a cult favorite.

A number of straight-to-DVD film roles soon followed, and he also made appearances on shows like "Ugly Betty," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Criminal Minds." In 2008, he booked a recurring role on "One Tree Hill" before making an appearance on the show "Medium."

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He gained further notoriety for his role in the independent film "Formosa Betrayed," and then experienced a career resurgence when he booked a recurring role in the series "Mercy." Another film role soon followed in "Stolen." In 2011, he famously played a fictionalized version of himself in the Netflix series "Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23."

In 2015, he landed another solid recurring role as Agent Elijah Mundo in "CSI: Cyber." In addition, he created his own series called "What Would Diplo Do?" He also stars in the show. Outside of these projects, James Van Der Beek has worked as a voice actor in the Disney Junior show "Vampirina," and he also competed on "Dancing with the Stars."

Personal Life

In 2003, James Van Der Beek married Heather McComb. Their marriage lasted for 6 years before their divorce was finalized by 2009. In 2010, the divorce paperwork came to light, revealing that Van Der Beek was earning roughly $50,000 per month during this period. That's the equivalent of about $600,000 per year.

He married business consultant Kimberly Brook in August 2010. They have five children together. Over the course of their marriage, they have had five children together. Although they announced that they were expecting a sixth, the pregnancy unfortunately ended in miscarriage in 2019.

Real Estate

In 2005, Van Der Beek purchased a property in Valley Village for $1.26 million. The 3,000-square-foot house immediately became an investment property for James, and he leased it out for $5,000 per month. The four-bedroom home features an extensive outdoor area with a pool. After collecting plenty of rental income through the property, he sold it in 2014 for $1.15 million – taking a small loss on his initial investment.