During the heyday of WB teen TV, Chad Michael Murray was one of the most crush-worthy actors.
He had stints as bad boys on Gilmore Girls and Dawson's Creek before starring for six
seasons as a high school basketball player in the small town soap One Tree Hill.
Here's what he's been up to since those early days.
Brief marriage
When they were 24 and 23 years old, Murray and One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush got
married.
According to People, the pair had a Santa Monica oceanside wedding in April 2005.
The marriage didn't last, however, and the two separated just five months later.
Bush avoided discussing the marriage as much as possible over the next decade, but then
wrote an essay in Cosmopolitan in 2017 detailing the difficult experience.
She wrote,
"In my 20s, when I was starting out my career as an actor, I wasn't looking for a relationship,
but one found me and became serious, even though I hadn't planned to settle down until
my 30s.
But when the person you're with asks you to marry him, you think: This must be happening
because it's supposed to."
She explained that while the period was traumatic for her, she now has moved on and realized
that, quote,
"...relationships often serve a specific purpose at a certain point in time."
Engagement
Soon after splitting from Bush, Murray got engaged to Kenzie Dalton, a cheerleading extra
on One Tree Hill, who was then a high school senior.
He proposed to Dalton before his divorce with Bush was finalized.
They stayed together for seven years, but never ended up getting married and broke up
in 2013.
Before they parted ways, Murray described Dalton to Us Weekly as his best friend, calling
her, quote, "...a little stunner."
Marvel universe
These days, every actor dreams of nabbing an alter ego in the world of Marvel, and Murray
was one of the lucky few to get one.
From 2015 to 2016, Murray appeared as Jack Thompson in 14 out of 18 episodes of the ABC
series Agent Carter, which focused on secret agent Peggy Carter from the Captain America
movies.
Murray's character was involved in a season-finale cliffhanger that, unfortunately, was never
resolved when the show was canceled after two seasons.
Settled down
After two public engagements that didn't work out, it makes sense that Murray married his
next love completely under the radar.
In 2015, Murray's rep announced he had married actress Sarah Roemer, his co-star from the
Crackle TV show Chosen, in a secret ceremony.
In 2015, Murray explained to E! News why they kept their relationship details on down-low,
saying,
"I keep everything quiet.
I'm just living my life, I love the show, I love going to work, and you know, that's
just the side world.
That's the part that I keep to myself."
Murray and Roemer have two children, which Murray describes as the best thing that's
ever happened to him.
"It's a game changer, and I think you're always walking around with the mentality that you
want to make sure that they're proud, and you want to represent them well, and just
be a great leader."
For the fans
Even though Murray decided to leave One Tree Hill three years before the show concluded
in 2012, he still appreciates the show's fans.
In 2017, he attended the sixth annual Return to Tree Hill fan convention in Wilmington,
North Carolina, where the show was filmed — and he posted an Instagram photo taken
in front of the bridge featured in the One Tree Hill opening credits.
"You know, it's just a fun, good weekend, you know?
I've got so many friends and there's a beach there, and we go and we play, and it's awesome."
Novelist
Yes, your celebrity crush from 2002 is now a novelist.
In November 2017, Murray teamed up with author Heather Graham to pen American Drifter, a
romantic thriller.
Murray even reads the audiobook, if you want to experience his writing and performing at
the same time.
After an event to celebrate the book's release, Murray wrote on Instagram,
"So humbled by all your support & love for this book.
It's an honor to bring it to you."
Hallmark hunk
In May 2018, you'll be able to tune into the Hallmark Channel and watch Murray get sentimental
in The Beach House,, alongside Friday Night Lights star Minka Kelly and Groundhog Day
actress Andie Macdowell.
The movie, which is adapted from a Mary Alice Monroe novel, is about a woman who returns
to her family's beach house where she reconnects with her mother during a bad storm.
Public support
In November 2017, a number of women who worked on One Tree Hill publicly accused showrunner
Mark Schwahn of inappropriate behavior.
Murray said he was proud of these women in a note he tweeted out, saying,
"The women of OTH have always been strong and incredible.
Today they've made us all even more proud by standing as a beacon of what is right,
and continuing to lead & change the atmosphere of society."
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