It’s been 22 years since One Tree Hill first took viewers to the small North Carolina town of Tree Hill — a place filled with basketball dreams, tangled love stories, and more emotional piano music than anyone could count. Premiering on September 23, 2003, the show quickly became a comfort watch for an entire generation. Fast-forward to now, and it looks like fans might get to go back — literally.
Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton have confirmed a One Tree Hill revival is in the works, with their former co-star Danneel Ackles joining them behind the scenes. The idea? To bring the show back on their own terms — for the fans, and maybe a little bit for themselves too.
While the reboot is still cooking, the original cast members have gone off in all kinds of directions — from gritty dramas to horror films, and in some cases, right into parenthood. Here’s where everyone from Tree Hill’s cast is now.
1. Chad Michael Murray as Lucas Scott
The early 2000s had a poster boy for teen crushes. It was our dashing and broody Chad Michael Murray. Before ruling One Tree Hill, he was already busy melting hearts on Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creek. But Lucas Scott made him the poster boy for brooding sensitivity. The guy could quote books, play basketball, and stare meaningfully into the rain — a triple threat for mid-2000s TV.
Murray left the series after six seasons (a heartbreak fans still haven’t recovered from), but popped back in for the final run. During his OTH days, he moonlighted in teen classics like A Cinderella Story alongside Hilary Duff. He was also seen in the horror remake House of Wax. After Tree Hill was done, Murray kept his career steady. He was hopping between TV and film. He’s done everything from Agent Carter to Riverdale, and even headlined Sullivan’s Crossing. Oh, and he was also part of the Freaky Friday sequel — aptly titled Freakier Friday.
Off-screen, life’s been just as eventful for the actor. He married actress Sarah Roemer in 2014.
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They now share three kids. So yes, Lucas Scott grew up — but probably still writes in a leather journal somewhere.
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2. James Lafferty as Nathan Scott
James Lafferty’s Nathan Scott was the ultimate redemption arc in One Tree Hill. He started out as the classic high school jock with way too much ego and just enough charm to make you roll your eyes — and somehow root for him anyway. But as the seasons went on, Nathan went from arrogant troublemaker to loving husband. He became a devoted dad and the guy who’d do anything for his family. Honestly, it’s one of TV’s most satisfying glow-ups.
Lafferty’s own career was kind of the same. It followed a similar kind of steady growth. Before the show, his acting credits were few, but One Tree Hill changed everything. He didn’t just stick to acting, though. He also directed several episodes. After the series ended, he kept busy with roles in films like Oculus and Small Town Crime. He also made TV appearances. We saw him in shows like Crisis, Underground, and even The Haunting of Hill House.
Then came Everyone Is Doing Great, the comedy he co-created with co-star Stephen Colletti. It’s a hilarious, painfully honest take on life after fame — something Nathan Scott probably would’ve binged between basketball games.
Off-screen, Lafferty’s doing just fine, too. In 2022, he married The Royals star Alexandra Park.
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Since then, the two have been radiating couple goals. Nathan Scott may have hung up his jersey, but you just know Lafferty could still sink a three-pointer without even breaking a sweat.
3. Sophia Bush as Brooke Davis
Sophia Bush entered One Tree Hill as the feisty cheerleader with a wild streak, but Brooke Davis quickly became one of TV’s most beloved characters — all charm, sass, and heart. For Bush, the role was a launchpad. OTH was one of her first major gigs, and by the time it ended, she’d transformed Brooke into a powerhouse of confidence and compassion — and herself into one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces.
During her Tree Hill years, Bush juggled film work too — think John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows. After the show ended in 2012, she traded small-town drama for big-city crime, starring as detective Erin Lindsay in the Chicago P.D. franchise. She showed up in Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice, and even Law & Order: SVU — basically, if there was a Chicago crime scene, she was probably on it.
More recently, Bush starred in Good Sam. She also popped up in Love, Victor,
Bush has also been candid about her past experiences. In 2017, she and 17 other OTH cast and crew members accused showrunner Mark Schwahn of harassment and manipulation. In an interview, she even shared one of the many incidents. She said (via Deadline),
We knew about things he’d say to people, we knew about the late-night texts, we knew when he was super-obsessed with one girl on our show that he started trying to bang down her hotel room door in the middle of the night. She had to be moved, her rooms were moved.
It was a painful but necessary reckoning for the TV industry.
In her personal life, Bush married entrepreneur Grant Hughes in 2022. But the marriage ended a year later. By late 2023, she’d found new happiness with soccer player Ashlyn Harris. Brooke Davis built an empire on the show — and Sophia Bush pretty much did that in real life, too.
4. Hilarie Burton as Peyton Sawyer
Before she became Peyton Sawyer, Hilarie Burton was an MTV VJ. This was back when TRL ruled pop culture. Her effortless cool made her a natural fit for Peyton. Peyton was the artsy, music-loving cheerleader. Her heart was as complicated as her playlists.
After six seasons of drama, Burton moved on from One Tree Hill in 2009. She didn’t slow down, though. She appeared in The Secret Life of Bees and carved out a solid TV career. She had roles in Grey’s Anatomy, White Collar, Lethal Weapon, Extant, and even The Walking Dead. There she starred alongside her real-life husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
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The two got married in 2019 after years of being together. Now they live a quieter life on their farm in New York with their kids, Augustus and George. Burton’s also become a beloved voice in the OTH fandom again, co-hosting the podcast Drama Queens with Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz, where they revisit every episode with nostalgia and some serious tea.
5. Bethany Joy Lenz as Haley James Scott
Bethany Joy Lenz brought warmth and wisdom to One Tree Hill as Haley James Scott. She was the tutor, the singer, the best friend, the wife, the mom. She was basically the emotional backbone of Tree Hill. Lenz made her feel real, relatable, and powerful.
Before joining the cast, Lenz had already paid her dues in Hollywood. We saw her excel in Guiding Light, Charmed, and Felicity. And just like Haley, she’s got serious musical chops in real life, too. Over the years, she’s written and recorded songs. She has even performed them on-screen during her One Tree Hill run. After the series wrapped, she kept the creative spark alive, balancing acting and music equally gracefully.
You might have spotted her in some amazing shows like Dexter and Grey’s Anatomy. More recently, she was part of the show Good Sam. There, she reunited with some of her OTH family. Off-camera, she’s a proud mom to her daughter Rosie. These days, Lenz radiates the same grounded energy she brought to Haley. She is now wiser and still as full of heart as ever.
6. Paul Johansson as Dan Scott
Ah, Dan Scott — possibly one of the most charming villains to ever haunt primetime TV. Played by Paul Johansson, Dan was the father everyone loved to hate (and occasionally pity). And if karma were real, Dan Scott would’ve been grounded for life — but Paul Johansson’s still out here thriving.
Before he perfected the art of being diabolical on One Tree Hill, Johansson already had a solid career going. He’d appeared in shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 — as yet another troublemaker — and even Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.
His first major break came on the soap Santa Barbara, where he played Greg Hughes. From there, it was a steady climb through film and TV — Lonesome Dove: The Series, Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, and even a part in John Q. alongside Denzel Washington. Then came One Tree Hill, where he became one of the most infamous dads on television.
After the show ended, Johansson didn’t exactly slow down. He jumped into projects like Mad Men and Van Helsing. The man proved that bad guys never truly go out of style. He has also popped up in the Detective Knight movies opposite Bruce Willis. There, he played the role of Ricky Conlan. Off-screen, Johansson’s life is a lot less dramatic than Dan’s. He’s a devoted father to his son, Quinn.
7. Barry Corbin as Coach Whitey
Barry Corbin’s Coach Whitey was the voice of wisdom, sarcasm, and the occasional dad joke on One Tree Hill. Long before Tree Hill High, Corbin had already built a pretty good résumé. He was in WarGames, The Thorn Birds, and Northern Exposure. In Northern Exposure, he was absolutely unforgettable.
Corbin was already a TV veteran by the time he joined One Tree Hill. During the show’s run, he managed to juggle other projects too, because apparently, even Coach Whitey didn’t believe in taking breaks. After wrapping up his time on the series, Corbin’s career just kept rolling — with roles in Anger Management, Modern Family, and Better Call Saul.
He also had a long stint on Netflix’s The Ranch and made appearances in shows like Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and 9-1-1: Lone Star. In 2023, he appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon — because of course, Coach Whitey would end up in an Oscar-nominated film.
And for those who don’t know, Corbin isn’t just an actor. He is a real-life cowboy, too. He was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame back in 2009. Whitey probably still gives acting notes the same way he gave pep talks on the show: with one eye-roll and a side of wisdom.
8. Barbara Alyn Woods as Deb Scott
Barbara Alyn Woods brought equal parts chaos, comedy, and heart to One Tree Hill as Deb Scott. She was the sharp-tongued mom who could go from PTA meeting to emotional breakdown in a second. She was Nathan’s mom and Dan’s long-suffering ex. But Deb was also a whirlwind of sass and sarcasm. She made questionable choices (okay, a lot of them), but Woods played her with so much warmth and wit. And you couldn’t help but root for her, even when she was literally burning down cafés.
Before she ever set foot in Tree Hill, she had starred in everything from the sultry soap Eden to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, plus guest spots on Seinfeld, Ally McBeal, and Murder, She Wrote. Oh, and let’s not forget Striptease with Demi Moore — yes, that was her too. By the time One Tree Hill came around, she’d mastered the art of playing women who were smart, flawed, and endlessly watchable.
Since the show ended, Woods hasn’t slowed down. And just to prove she’s still got range, Woods recently played Michelle Cross, a mayor with social media ambitions in the Chucky TV series. There she shared the screen with her real-life daughter, Alyvia Alyn Lind.
Her other two daughters, Natalie and Emily Alyn Lind, are also actors, officially making hers one of the most talented families in Hollywood. Classic Deb energy, really. Deb Scott may have lost control of a few fires, but Barbara Alyn Woods? She’s still the one setting the screen ablaze.
9. Antwon Tanner as Antwon Taylor
Antwon Tanner didn’t have to fake much to play Antwon “Skills” Taylor on One Tree Hill — the man just was cool. He has this easy grin, slick timing, and that perfect mix of humor and heart. He made Skills feel like the friend everyone wished they had. Whether he was tossing out jokes on the sidelines or dropping a surprisingly wise one-liner, Tanner gave the show its dose of effortless charisma.
Before landing in Tree Hill, Tanner was a known Hollywood hustler. He started popping up in the late ’90s. He was out there taking on TV roles and small film parts that slowly built his rep. Then came Coach Carter, where he went toe-to-toe with Samuel L. Jackson in one of the most memorable sports dramas of the era. Tanner clearly had a thing for basketball stories — though, let’s be real, Skills probably would’ve talked his way into that locker room too.
After One Tree Hill, Tanner kept grinding, carving out a solid career in indie films like The Dempsey Sisters, Who Can I Run To, and Fade Away. He later joined the comedy Black Jesus and even reunited with some OTH alums — Hilarie Burton and Barbara Alyn Woods — in the 2020 holiday film A Christmas Wish. Most recently, he showed up in the 2023 movie Packz.
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10. Austin Nichols as Julian Baker
After a few seasons, Austin Nichols showed up in One Tree Hill as Julian Baker. Brooke Davis was a movie-obsessed, slightly dorky, impossibly sweet love interest. Before that role, Nichols already had a solid Hollywood resume.
Nichols had already popped up in Six Feet Under and Pasadena. He was also in big-screen hits like The Day After Tomorrow, Wimbledon, and Glory Road. The guy could do heartfelt or high-stakes amazingly. Whatever the script called for, he did it better.
After wrapping up his time as Julian, Nichols leaned into more serious territory. He joined The Mob Doctor, stirred up trouble in Ray Donovan, and creeped out viewers in Bates Motel. Fans of The Walking Dead will definitely remember him as Spencer Monroe — aka the man who made one too many bad choices and didn’t exactly walk it off.
More recently, he’s kept things steady, turning up in Minx, Walker, and films like The Six Triple Eight, Due West, and the I Know What You Did Last Summer remake. He’s one of those actors who never fully disappears — just quietly reappears somewhere new, doing something cool. Julian wrote movies in One Tree Hill, but Austin Nichols is still out here scripting his own career — thankfully, with a lot less heartbreak and no tree-lined drama.
It’s safe to say the One Tree Hill cast didn’t just move on — they evolved. And with a revival officially brewing, maybe it’s time to lace up those basketball shoes. Because soon we are going to head back to the River Court. After all, no matter how many years pass in Tree Hill, it feels like you can always go home.
So, among all these actors, who was your absolute favorite on the show? Let us know in the comments.
