Chad Michael Murray has opened up about nearly walking away from acting after his time on One Tree Hill, citing the pressures of fame and personal struggles during his early career. In a recent interview with Interview magazine, published on December 11, the actor reflected on the challenges he faced as a young star in the early 2000s and how it led him to consider quitting Hollywood altogether.
Murray, who became a household name through his roles in Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek, and, most notably, One Tree Hill, spoke candidly about the darker side of fame that came with his teen heartthrob status. One particularly odd experience stood out for the actor during the height of his popularity. He recalled a night out in New York with One Tree Hill co-star Craig Sheffer at a bar in Hell’s Kitchen.
“After we’d finished shooting Tree Hill, Craig Sheffer and I went down to this bar,” Murray recalled. “A girl came up to us, a huge fan, and pulled her chest out on the bar and said, ‘Could you sign these?'”
Murray, who was initially reluctant, was persuaded by Sheffer, who played his character’s Uncle Keith on the series. The fan requested that Murray sign her chest, and despite his reservations, he obliged. But the encounter took an unexpected turn when, hours later, the fan returned with a tattoo of his autograph on her body.
“That was one of those moments where I said, ‘I don’t ever want to write on any skin again,’” Murray admitted. “That’s on her body forever. And I was like, ‘Oh, gosh. Now some boyfriend’s going to come beat me up 20 years down the road.’”
Although bizarre fan encounters like this were part of his rise to fame, Murray made it clear that it wasn’t just the intense scrutiny from fans that led him to contemplate quitting the industry. He revealed that during the period after One Tree Hill wrapped in 2009, he struggled with his mental health and questioned whether he wanted to continue acting at all.
“There was a moment where I was quitting. I was done. I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Murray said. He explained that during his late teens and early twenties, a time when many people are still figuring out who they are, he found the public attention overwhelming. “When you’re 18 to 25, these are your formative years, your brain isn’t fully developed, and you make mistakes,” he said. “It’s hard to see past those moments when you’re not adult enough to understand the scenarios you’re in.”
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Murray, now 43, admitted that fame had a particularly harsh effect on him during those years. “There are so many eyeballs on you,” he said. “You go to the grocery store, and someone points at you and says, ‘Oh, that’s the guy on the tabloid, or that’s the guy who did this.’ Even if they’re not talking about it, sometimes your head goes to a negative place, and mine really did.”
The actor explained that it was during this turbulent period that he made a conscious decision to step away from the industry, choosing instead to reassess his life and career. “I just made a big pivot at that point in my life,” Murray said. “I said, ‘You know what? This is not what I want.’”
After taking a break from the limelight, Murray found his way back to acting, taking on smaller roles in TV movies and films such as To Write Love on Her Arms (2012) and Fruitvale Station (2013). Reflecting on his early years in Hollywood, he acknowledged that he didn’t fully grasp the respect and commitment required to succeed in the industry. “I didn’t understand the power that the industry can have, the respect that you must give it, and give everyone and every moment,” he said.
It was only after years of personal reflection and conversations with mentors that Murray found a renewed sense of purpose. “It took years of talking to people much smarter than me to get where I wanted to go,” he explained.
In recent years, Murray has enjoyed a resurgence in his career, taking on notable roles in 2024. He stars in Mother of the Bride, a Netflix film, and The Merry Gentlemen, a Christmas movie that was released earlier this month. Additionally, Murray will reprise his role in a sequel to the beloved 2003 film Freaky Friday, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.
Despite his earlier struggles with fame and the pressures of Hollywood, Murray has found a balance in his career that suits him. His openness about the challenges he faced offers insight into the complexities of early fame and the personal growth required to navigate a long-lasting career in entertainment.
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