A ‘DWTS’ fan favorite stunned everyone with a ‘Masked Singer’ reveal no one saw coming
It appears that the 'Dawson's Creek' star James Van Der Beek likes participating in different reality shows! For the unversed, let us share with you that Van Der Beek was one of the fan favorites when he took part in Season 28 of 'Dancing With The Stars,' and during his time on the ABC dance show, he was paired up with Emma Slater. At that point in time, Van Der Beek and Slater finished in fifth place. Not long ago, Van Der Beek was seen on 'The Masked Singer' Season 13. Yeah, you read that right. During the March 17 episode of the Fox singing show, Van Der Beek was revealed to be the celebrity hiding beneath the Griffin mask.
In the episode, Van Der Beek sang 'Take Me Home (Country Roads)' by John Denver. At one point following his performance, Van Der Beek also talked about his recent colorectal cancer diagnosis on the show. “Recently, we got some news that changed everything. It’s been a really tough year. But fortunately, we’ve been able to face this challenge together, in our home. I would not have gotten through all of this without them. They make me smile through the tough days and are strong for me when I sometimes can’t be. They sit beside me through it all. They’re my safe space. My home," Van Der Beek said, as per Variety.
During an interview with People magazine after his elimination, Van Der Beek reflected on his journey on 'The Masked Singer' and stated that he was a bit hesitant to say yes to the show. "I had not sung in public in a very, very long time. It was something that I used to do when I was younger, but it was also something I didn't have a ton of confidence in," he shared. When Van Der Beek was questioned about doing the show with his ongoing treatments for colon cancer, he said, "I felt pretty good."
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The 'Varsity Blues' actor further elaborated, "There were some things we had to look out for, and I told my dressers. But what was cool is the audience didn't know. So as much as I was dealing with whatever I was dealing with in my trailer and with the world, it was this great escape to be able to put on this mask and just connect with that audience and not have cancer be a part of it at all." When Van Der Beek was asked how he's feeling right now, he stated that he's "feeling good." While giving a health update, Van Der Beek continued, "Right now I'm in a healing portal, so once I feel like it's responsible and safe to really give any more details to that, I will."
On the other hand, when we talk about Van Der Beek's future projects, he will soon be appearing in the sequel to 'Sidelined: The QB and Me.' Speaking about the film, Van Der Beek exclaimed, "It turned out to be a huge hit for Tubi. They quote the movie at my daughter's middle school, which is funny because her friends haven't seen anything that I've done—maybe Vamprina, because they watched it when they were 6. And then all of a sudden, there are QB and Me memes, and kids are quoting it in her hallway. I was like, 'This is great!'"