Van Der Bye.

I know he was first in many people's hearts for his roles in Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues, but quite honestly I thought James van Der Beek's most hilarious role was playing "James Van Der Beek" in the TV series Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23. Talk about a postmodern wink and a smile. Followed up by his hilarious send up of Jason Mewes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The man was a seriously comedic talent in both those productions.

But Van Der Beek's finest role that showed his range as an actor was as as Sean Bateman (Patrick Bateman's little brother in the Bret Easton Ellis expanded universe) in The Rules of Attraction. If you've never seen that film, strap yourself in for a distinctly early aught ride through various levels hilarity, depravity, ennui and dark depression that also contains one of the most heartbreaking uses of a Henry Nilsson song I've ever experienced.

Van Der Beek passed away yesterday at a far-too-young age—I literally gasped when someone shared the breaking news with us in a meeting—and I'm realizing this has hit me harder than I would have ever thought it would.