Vivien Killilea/Getty James Van Der Beek has been cast in Prime Video'sLegally Blondeprequel series,Elle The news comes just six months after Van Der Beek revealed that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE The spinoff, which is set to be executive produced by Reese Witherspoon, will follow the teenage version of her iconic character Elle Woods We have no objections toJames Van Der Beek's newest role, Your Honor! On Thursday, May 15, the 48-year-old actor confirmed that he has been cast in a recurring guest role in theupcomingLegally Blondeprequel series,Elle. Van Der Beektook to Instagramto share screenshots of aDeadlinearticle, which named his character as Dean Wilson, "the city's new Mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent." "So, this is exciting… I'm going back to work for a bit," he wrote. "Super excited to join this awesome cast in such a fun project. Almost as excited as my wife and girls are that I'm doing this 😍 #LegallyBlond #Elle" Chris Haston/WBTV via Getty His wifeKimberly, with whom he sharessix children, proved just how overjoyed she was to see her husband join theLegally Blondeuniverse. "Annabel and I NEEDED this!" she commented. Fans also took to the comments to congratulate Van Der Beek, with one user writing: "One of favorite actors in the prequel to one of my favorite movies?? Yes please!! ❤️" "We want much more of the Beek 🙌❤️" another declared. Others seemed to take the news as a sign that theDawson's Creekstar was doing better amid his cancer journey. "So glad you're feeling good enough to go to work," someone said. "This is so exciting." Casey Flanigan/IndieWire/Penske Media via Getty In November, Van Der Beekexclusively revealed to PEOPLEthat he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and was undergoing treatment. At the time, he said he was prioritizing his family and continuing to work when he could. "There's reason for optimism, and I'm feeling good," he noted, although he has kept the status of his health mostly private in recent months. In May 2024,Prime Video greenlitEllefromReese Witherspoon's media company Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon, who is also executive producing the spinoff, originally played Elle Woods, a headstrong Harvard Law student, in the iconicLegally Blondemovies in the early 2000s. "Fans will get to know how Elle Woods navigated her world as a teenager with her distinct personality and ingenuity, in ways that only our beloved Elle could do," she said in a statement at the time. Then, in February, she revealed thatshe had officially found the personto play her mini-me. A videoposted to Instagramcaptured the moment she offered actress Lexi Minetree the role. Tracy Bennett/MGM; Lexi Minetree/Instagram "Your audition tape was amazing, as we talked about," Witherspoon told Minetree as footage of her recreating Elle Woods' Harvard submission video played on the screen. "We had to make a really hard decision the other day and we wanted to tell you in person because you just worked really hard." The Oscar winner faked Minetree out with her serious expression before breaking the good news: "We just wanted to tell you that you don't have to audition anymore because you got the part. You're Elle Woods!" "Really? Can I hug you please?" Minetree, who was appropriately clad in a bright pink blouse and pink heels for the moment, asked Witherspoon before the two embraced in tears. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In addition to Van Der Beek and Minetree, the cast also includesJune Diane Raphael,Tom Everett Scott, Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz,Chandler Kinneyand Zac Looker as series regulars and Jessica Belkin,Logan Shroyer, Amy Pietz, Matt Ober, Chloe Wepper,David Burtka, Brad Harde, Kayla Maisonet and Lisa Yamada as recurring guests. Read the original article onPeople
