James Van Der Beek diagnosed with colorectal cancer

Actor James Van Der Beek said he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and has been “privately dealing with this diagnosis,” according to People magazine.

The 47-year-old actor, known for his role in the teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek,” said he is taking steps to address the cancer.

“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” Van Der Beek told People.

In “Dawson’s Creek,” Van Der Beek played the soap’s title character, an aspiring filmmaker who was initially aloof to his female best friend’s romantic feelings toward him.

The actor is also known for playing a meta-version of himself in “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23,” where he’s a smarmy has-been, nicknamed “The Beek from the Creek.”

“The ego certainly is the biggest obstacle as an artist or performer, so any chance you get to destroy that is really healthy,” he told The Times in 2012.

Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly have six children.

His upcoming projects include the Tubi romance movie “Sidelined: The QB and Me” and “The Real Full Monty,” a TV special where Van Der Beek and other celebrities will participate in a strip tease to bring awareness to prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer testing and research.

Staff writer Yvonne Villarreal contributed to this report.