James Van Der Beek's Final Acting Project Revealed

James Van Der Beek is set to make one final appearance on screen.

The late actor, who passed away on Wednesday (February 11), filmed his last project in 2025, and it will be released later this year.

In May 2025, it was announced that James was cast in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, which is debuting on Prime Video.

Keep reading to find out more…

The actor will portray Dean White, the city’s new mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent, according to Deadline.

“So, this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit,” James wrote on Instagram at the time of the announcement. “Super excited to join this awesome cast in such a fun project. Almost as excited as my wife and girls are that I’m doing this ????”

Elle follows Elle Woods in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde film. Lexi Minetree will play the titular role.

If you missed it, see the first look photos here!

Elle is slated to premiere on July 1st on Prime Video. It has also already been renewed for a second season.

Last November, James also reprised his role as Drayton’s father in Sidelined 2: Intercepted, which is currently available to stream on Tubi.