‘So Proud’: James Van Der Beek Celebrates Daughter’s First TV Appearance
By Movieguide® Contributor
James Van Der Beek’s daughter Olivia is following in his footsteps, and the actor couldn’t be more proud.
“When I was 15, I first told my mom I wanted to audition professionally. She didn’t hold me back. She took me to NYC, and she walked me through it,” he wrote on Instagram. “So when the opportunity to do #WeAreFamilyFox came up and my 13 year-old lit up like a carbon copy of me at that age… I let her put herself on tape. I got her some voice lessons. And I walked her through it.”
Van Der Beek shared that Olivia had “never sung in front of people before.”
In the video he posted, viewers see Olivia exploring her first trailer, rehearsing for the performance, and singing Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.”
“So proud of my baby girl. And I call her that because when I watched her tonight, all I could see was the newborn in the bassinet who I could not stop looking at in awe,” he concluded. “Kid’s still got it.”
In addition to Olivia, Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly share Joshua, 11, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 7, Gwendolyn, 5, and Jeremiah, 2.
“I think fatherhood changes you from the inside out,” the DAWSON’S CREEK actor told PEOPLE. “We have watched our lives change with each kid. We’ve watched opportunities grow, and we’ve seen the positive effect it’s had on our other kids. And the added love brought into the house lights everybody up in a way that is kind of undeniable.”
The family recently moved from Los Angeles to Texas in search of “a better connection to nature.”
Van Der Beek has also used the time away from Hollywood to take a break from his acting career.
“Living in Texas, I’ve been offered basically everything that I thought I really wanted before, and I just haven’t had it in me to say yes, to leave where we’re at,” he told GOOD MORNING AMERICA. “This break has been really, really good for me. I think I’ve probably figured out a lot more of who I am and what’s important in these last couple of years.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Van Der Beek’s commitment to family time:
Van Der Beek has been relatively unseen on screens lately, but the actor says he’s been thinking about coming back to acting. However, family is always his first priority.
“I’ve been trying to set things up right now so that I can spend the most amount of time with my family,” the actor shared. “I’ve been writing and developing. I am actually feeling the call to collaborate with some really brilliant people and act again. I will see. It would have to be something that I really, really believed in.”
He continued, “I was really enjoying the kind of career that I had been wanting to build for quite some time before 2020 and now my priorities have changed. It would really have to fit around my life. I do love telling stories. That is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I think I’ll always continue to do that.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
