James Van Der Beek made a surprise video appearance during the Dawson's Creek fundraising reunion event on Monday after dropping out due to illness. The 48-year-old actor, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year, withdrew from the one-night-only event over the weekend as he is battling "two stomach viruses". However, he participated in the fundraiser by recording two video messages, which played before and after his co-stars read the script for the TV show's 1998 pilot episode. "I have been looking forward to this night for months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together," Van Der Beek began, reports People. "I can't believe I'm not there. I can't believe I don't get to see my cast mates, my beautiful cast in person." He continued, "I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who's doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you - you are the best fans in the world." Van Der Beek then introduced his replacement, Lin-Manuel Miranda, joking that his kids would consider his understudy to be "an upgrade". Miranda played Van Der Beek's character, Dawson Leery, during the live script reading alongside the teen drama's original stars Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Kerr Smith, and Busy Philipps, among others. Miranda's former Hamilton co-star Renée Elise Goldsberry served as the narrator. The cast also performed the show's theme song, I Don't Want To Wait by Paula Cole, alongside Van Der Beek's wife Kimberly and their six children. The event, which raised funds for F Cancer, was held at New York City's Richard Rodgers Theatre, the home of Miranda's hit musical Hamilton.