"It was this great escape" — James Van Der Beeks opens up about being on The Masked Singer while battling cancer 

The Masked Singer is currently airing season 13 and drops new episodes every Wednesday on Fox. The latest episode, which aired on March 19, 2025, saw Griffin being eliminated from the secret celebrity singing competition. As a part of the show's format, the eliminated contestant had to unmask and reveal his true identity.

When the mask came off, fans discovered that Griffin was none of than the Dawson Creek alum James Van Der Beeks. The actor spoke to People Magazine, on March 20, 2025, about his time on the show and opened up about competing while battling colon cancer.

He said that as much as he was dealing with behind the scenes and with the world in general, the studio audience of the show didn't know. He termed them not knowing his struggle "cool."

"It was this great escape to be able to put on this mask and just connect with that audience and not have cancer be a part of it all," he added.

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"It was something that I used to do when I was younger" — James Van Der Beeks talks about singing publically as part of The Masked Singer in season 13

The Masked Singer season 13 eliminated contestant, James Van Der Beeks aka Griffin spoke to People magazine about his time on the Fox show. The cast member noted that while he was nervous to be a part of the show, he enjoyed the process thoroughly.

"I had not sung in public in a very, very long time. It was something that I used to do when I was younger," James said.

He also noted that it was something he didn't have a ton of confidence in. The Masked Singer season 13 contestant, who kickstarted his career in theater recalled the beginning of his career during the conversation.

James said that he would go to multiple auditions in summer and attend every open call he found while on spring break when he was in school. He added that while he never found any gigs that way, he took part in a musical at the age of 17.

By being on The Masked Singer, James got to revisit his passion for singing but had to be mindful of some things due to his health issues after being diagnosed with colon cancer in November 2024. At the time, the actor had told the publication that he had colorectal cancer and that he had been dealing with his diagnosis privately.

During the conversation, without diving into much information, Hames said that he was in a "healing portal" and that he would open up about his journey more once he knew it was "responsible and safe."

However, The Masked Singer season 13 celebrity contestant also chimed in on what he would like to do next and said that it would be a "dream come true" to be on Broadway. He also updated fans about his future projects and said that he was filming part 2 of Sidelined: The QB and Me.

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James' elimination from The Masked Singer season 13

Griffin was revealed as James Van Der Beek in The Masked Singer season 13 episode 6, which aired on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. During the episode, he opened up about the year being a tough one for him and his family.

He praised his family members and noted that they had been able to face the "challenge" together. He also said that he wouldn't have been able to get through his struggles without them. He said they made him smile through the tough days and stayed strong when he couldn't. In the visual clue, James further called his family his "safe space" and "home."

Fans can watch the moment Griffin was revealed as James Van Der Beek by streaming The Masked Singer season 13 episode 6 on Fox.