Van Der Beek almost got nothing from 'Dawson's Creek' residuals
What's the story
Hollywood actor James Van Der Beek, who passed away on Wednesday after a battle with colorectal cancer at 48, had reportedly received very little in residuals from the hit series Dawson's Creek. The actor had spoken about this financial struggle in a 2012 interview with Today.com. He revealed that he "saw almost nothing" from the show, which aired from 1998 to 2003.
Contract woes
Had to sign another show due to money issues
Van Der Beek, who was only 20 when he signed the contract for Dawson's Creek, said it was a "bad contract." He told Today.com, "There was no residual money. I saw almost nothing from that." He also mentioned that he had to sign on to Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 in 2012 when the money from Dawson's Creek ran out.
Financial pressure
Pressure of providing for family
Van Der Beek also spoke about the pressure of providing for his family. He said, "It is very easy if you have all the money in the world to just sit back and coast." "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."
Industry insight
Rachel True explains the residuals issue
Actor Rachel True, who appeared in two episodes of Dawson's Creek, also weighed in on the residuals issue. In response to a post by Variety on Van Der Beek's posthumous fundraiser, she explained how he might have been denied better compensation for his role. She wrote, "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."
Family support
$2 million raised for Van Der Beek's family
In the aftermath of his passing, Van Der Beek's family is now "facing an uncertain future," according to a GoFundMe page created by friends. The fundraiser has already generated close to $2 million to support his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. A-listers such as Zoe Saldana, Wicked director Jon M Chu, and Dancing With the Stars personality Derek Hough have donated thousands to keep Van Der Beek's family financially secure.