James Van Der Beek, best remembered for his roles in Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues, sadly died at the age of 48, two years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. In the months before his death, the Dawson Leery star made a heartbreaking admission as he marked his 48th birthday. The dad-of-six spoke about his own mortality just 11 months before his death.

"It has been the hardest year of my life and I wanted to share something that I learned with all of you," he began. "When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which it never really was all that fulfilling."

James commented: "Then it became a husband... that was much better. Than it became a father and that was the ultimate. I could define myself as a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband, father, provider. Steward of the land that we're so lucky to live on.

"For a long time that felt like a really good definition to the question, 'Who am I? What am I?"

He continued: "And then this year I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose-to-nose with death.

"All of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me. I was away for treatment so I could no longer be the husband that was helpful to his wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them."

He added, "And not be a provider because I wasn't working."

The television star had to give up being a steward of the land because he was unable to carry out tasks such as trimming back the trees.

James said: "I was faced with a question... if I am just a too skinny, weak guy, alone in an apartment with cancer. What am I?

"I meditated and an answer came through. I'm worthy of God's love. Simply because I exist.

And if I'm worthy of God's love should I not also be worthy of my own?

He concluded: "The same is true for you."

The actor's death was announced by his family in a statement shared on his Instagram, saying he "met his final days with courage, faith and grace".

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and six children, Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.

James shot to fame in the leading role as Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek which ran from 1998 to 2003.

Aged 20 at the time, he starred alongside Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson.