James Van Der Beek on ‘Masked Singer’ & ‘Healing Phase’ of Cancer Battle (Exclusive)

James Van Der Beek was just revealed as the Griffin on “The Masked Singer”! 

The actor chatted with “Extra’s” Billy Bush about his sing-off battle with Boogie Woogie on Wednesday’s episode.

He confessed, “I heard him sing in the dress rehearsal… and I immediately got on the phone with my wife. I was like, ‘Hey, babe, I don't think I'm going to be here past tomorrow. I think you better fly the kids out.”

James said that amid his health issues — he revealed his colon cancer battle in November 2024 — he appreciated the mask.

Van Der Beek explained, “Especially with everything I was going through, and I just announced the health issues I was dealing with, so to be able to put on the mask and connect with an audience without that being a part of the equation was actually a really beautiful thing.”

He went on, “I appreciated the mask. The costume itself was heavy as could be… but the mask I appreciated.”

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum also shared that his kids thought it was cool! 

“To be able to do anything and have your kids think it's cool at the ages that they are… I'm counting the days, and I'm counting the blessings of them still thinking I'm cool, so, yeah, it was so heartwarming,” he said.

He said he hoped his adventure on the show would set a good example for his children.

James said, “I could talk to them ’til I'm blue in the face about, ‘Hey, you got to try new things, you got to learn resilience,’ but I'm hoping that by watching me try something that they knew I was nervous about that that'll stick.”

Van Der Beek gave an update on his health, sharing, “I feel like I can see the finish line… I'm in a healing phase, which is great. I'm going back to work next month. I'm taking this month really to just kind of relax.”

As for his work plans, he revealed, “I did that movie ‘The QB and Me,’ where I played the dad, for Tubi, and it was such a huge hit they're doing a sequel.”

He added, “The kids in it are just great… As somebody who played a lot of, like, teenage romance melodrama in my youth… they're great. Noah Beck is just a sweet soul and yeah, they did great, so they're doing a sequel.”