Eric André Recalls The Life-Changing Pep Talk James Van Der Beek Gave Him

Eric André is remembering a moment of affirmation that helped silence the imposter syndrome and self-doubt that shadowed the earliest days of his career.

Following the death of his former co-star James Van Der Beek, who died at age 48 after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer, the comedian and actor recalled a private exchange that, he said, became a lifeline as he entered entertainment industry.

In an Instagram video posted Feb. 12, André said he was financially struggling and newly arrived to one of his first professional sets, “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.”

“I was so nervous every day,” André said.

Van Der Beek offered words that would fundamentally reshape how he saw himself.

“Hollywood is not casting actors out of sympathy, you got here for a reason,” Van Der Beek told him. “It’s because you’re talented and you’re smart and you’re funny and you belong here. You belong on the soundstage. You belong on this lot.”

“And I’ve taken that with me through my entire career,” André said, describing the reassurance as something he returned to whenever insecurity threatened to take hold.

He described Van Der Beek as “the sweetest, most selfless, altruistic guy ever,” noting that the father of six continued to check in “year after year… just out of the kindness of his own heart.”

Van Der Beek also joined André on “The Eric André Show” in 2013.

On Feb. 11, Kimberly Van Der Beek announced her husband’s passing in a poignant post on Instagram, writing that, “he met his final days with courage, faith and grace.”

Van Der Beek was best known for his role as Dawson Leery on the iconic teen drama “Dawson’s Creek,” which ran from 1998 to 2003 and became a defining series for a generation of viewers.

In September, the cast reunited in New York City for a one-night only event, though Van Der Beek was forced to cancel at the last minute due to “two stomach viruses.”

He appeared instead via a pre-recorded message, taking a moment to thank everyone involved in the show and to acknowledge the devoted viewers who had supported it over the years, calling them “the best fans in the world.”