James Van Der Beek explains why Dawson's Creek cast 'didn't speak for years'

James Van Der Beek has explained why the cast of Dawson's Creek stopped keeping in touch.

The 48-year-old actor played the titular Dawson Leery on the smash hit teen drama from 1998 until 2003 - with the show taping 128 episodes.

The cast included Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter, Katie Holmes as Joey Potter, and future Oscar nominee Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley.

It seems the quartet did not stay close following the end of the series - but Van Der Beek has now revealed that he has reconnected with his former cast members amid his ongoing cancer battle.

Opening up to Jana Kramer on her Whine Down podcast, the MTV Movie Award winner said, "I've gotten in touch with them recently and it's just been so nice."

Sharing more details, he gushed, "It's just been so great to talk to them and catch up with like who they are now this many years out and to have that shared experience from back in the day. It's just so lovely every time I get to catch up with one of them."

He added, "We all went our separate ways and just didn't speak for years because we were just living our lives and doing our things. And to just kind of reconnect and be like, 'Oh, wow, I love who you've become.'"

Earlier this week, Van Der Beek gave a positive update on his cancer fight, telling Extra, "I've done a bunch of stuff and I feel like I can see the finish line. It's not the first time I've felt that, but I'm in a healing phase, which is great."