James Van Der Beek is using his platform to raise awareness for cancer testing and research in The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special focused on prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer.
The special is especially significant for Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023.
In the year since his diagnosis, the 47-year-old actor has remained optimistic, telling E! News, “I’m doing great. Feeling good, feeling strong. In a good place.”
On Dec. 9, James will join fellow celebrities Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Tyler Posey, Bruno Tonioli, and Chris Jones to strip down on stage to help spread the message of cancer awareness.
The special encourages viewers to overcome the stigma surrounding cancer and get screened.
As Anthony Anderson, who also has personal experience with cancer, explained, “Unfortunately, we’re all affected by cancer somehow, in some way.”
Bruno Tonioli, participating in honor of his late Dancing With the Stars colleague Len Goodman, who passed away from prostate cancer in April 2023, emphasized the importance of breaking the stigma. “We all have one voice in this,” he said.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Get checked.”
The stars also participated in a striptease routine choreographed by Mandy Moore, which they performed in front of a live audience to drive home the importance of early cancer detection.
James shared that their message is simple yet powerful: “If we can stand onstage and strip in front of a thousand people, and do this dance, hopefully that inspires you to get over that little hump and talk to your doctor. And get the test and get the screening. ‘Cause it can save your life.”
James, who is a father of six with wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, has been open about the emotional challenges of his health journey.
He admitted that the uncertainty of cancer treatment has been difficult to navigate. “The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer,” he told People in November.
Despite the emotional rollercoaster, James decided to go public with his diagnosis to raise awareness, stating, “I really wanted to raise awareness.”
While he has kept the specifics of his treatments private, James revealed that his battle has been transformative.
“This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit,” he shared.
“I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’”
