Chad’s Road to Renewal

Chad Michael Murray is bringing festive spirit to Netflix this season with The Merry Gentlemen, but his journey back to acting wasn’t a simple one.

The 43-year-old actor revealed he nearly stepped away from Hollywood after his rise to fame on One Tree Hill. Reflecting on those turbulent years, Murray candidly shared how the intense spotlight and personal missteps during his formative years led him to consider leaving it all behind.

“There was a moment where I was quitting. I was done. I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Murray revealed in an interview with Interview Magazine. “It was right after I left One Tree Hill, and it wasn’t because of the fandom. It was because, when you’re 18 to 25, these formidable years where you’re really cutting your teeth on life experiences and your brain isn’t fully developed, you make mistakes.”

Rising to fame as Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill, Murray became a household name during the show’s six-season run starting in 2003. Alongside his TV success, he also landed major movie roles in Freaky Friday and House of Wax. However, the growing pressures of public scrutiny and personal challenges took a toll on the young actor.

“That was hard for me because there are so many eyeballs on you,” Murray explained. “Even if people weren’t judging me, my head often went to a negative place, and it was tough to escape that.”

In the years since, Murray has turned his focus inward, building a fulfilling personal life. Married to actress Sarah Roemer since 2015, the couple shares three children, and Murray now has a healthier outlook on fame and his career.

Reflecting on his early decisions, including a high-profile 2005 marriage to One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush at the age of 23, Murray admitted he wasn’t ready for the commitment at the time.

“I was a baby. I didn’t know up, down, left, right,” he admitted earlier this year. “You move out there and you go, ‘Well, what am I supposed to do now? Get married? That’s exciting!’”

With wisdom gained from experience, Murray’s return to acting signals a new chapter, one where his priorities are firmly grounded in personal growth and family.