James Van Der Beek is giving fans a look into his cancer journey.
The 47-year-old is set to star in “The Real Full Monty,” a two-hour special that will show “a daring group of male celebrities” strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer testing and research.
In a first look, per People on Friday, Van Der Beek shared that his own experience with colorectal cancer inspired him to get involved in the program.
“I’ll be honest, I was diagnosed with cancer,” the “Varsity Blues” star told the group, which included Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Chris Jones, Bruno Tonioli and Tyler Posey.
“Dancing With the Stars” judge Tonioli broke down in tears at Van Der Beek’s admission.
“I lost a dear friend to cancer, so I wanted to help bring awareness,” Anderson shared in the clip before Tonioli added, “For me, I had to do it because of Len [Goodman]. We lost him last year.”
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“Leading up to the final disrobing, the men will expand their limits, test their modesty and strengthen their bond with a series of rehearsals and experiences, both private and public, designed to build confidence and remove them far from their comfort zone and forge a brotherhood,” the official logline reads. “Along the way, each of the celebrities will share their personal stories of how cancer has impacted their lives.”
The trailer showed shots of the men in rehearsals and eventually ripping off their tearaway pants before thrusting to a jam-packed audience.
“If we can do the strip tease in front of a live audience, hopefully, that will inspire people to go get checked,” Van Der Beek said to the camera.
Van Der Beek revealed the news of his health battle earlier this month, telling People, “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he added.
Van Der Beek has been married to his wife, Kimberly, since 2010. They have six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwendolyn, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.
He elaborated further on Instagrame, writing, “Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline.”
“But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”
Kimberly commented on her husband’s post, writing, “I love you baby.”
Days before his cancer announcement, Kimberly shared a throwback photo with her husband and captioned the pic, “We were babies. So much life lived since then. Grateful for it all.”
The star became a household name while playing Dawson Leery on “Dawson’s Creek.” The teen drama was on the air from 1998 to 2003 and also produced stars like Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Mary-Margaret Humes, John Wesley Shipp and Busy Philipps.
“The Real Full Monty” hits Fox on December 9th.
