Chad Michael Murray is looking back on his rapid rise in Hollywood — and the former Hallmark star is opening up about the highs, lessons, and moments that shaped him along the way.
During the January 7, 2026, episode of the “Like a Farmer Podcast,” Murray reflected on how quickly fame arrived in the early 2000s after roles on “Dawson’s Creek,” “Gilmore Girls,” “One Tree Hill,” and “A Cinderella Story.” The actor, now 44, said it’s hard to recognize the magnitude of success while living in it.
“You’ll never know when you’re in it. And I think if you do, it’s a problem,” Murray said. “If you know that you are the guy and you’re in the moment, it’s probably a problem because you’re getting your ego inflated to a certain degree, right?”
Chad Michael Murray Reflects on His Fast Rise in the Early 2000s
Murray moved to Los Angeles from Buffalo, New York, in 1999. Not long after, he landed a recurring role on “Gilmore Girls” in 2000, which helped put him on the path to bigger opportunities.
He told podcast host Pat Spinosa that he leaned into the moment as things picked up.
“I grabbed the bull by the horns and was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go have some fun.’ And we did. We had a lot of fun,” he said.
Still, the Hallmark Christmas movie fan-favorite acknowledged that the experience came with regrets — and he said he learned more from mistakes than from success.
“And do I look back and have a lot of regret? Of course. Like, what a crazy time. I’m so grateful there were no camera phones around,” he added.
Murray also credited moments of being “humbled” for keeping him grounded.
“Because if I would have continued to keep winning, I think I probably would have destroyed myself,” he said. “I don’t think winning was the answer at that time. I think God was like, ‘All right, let’s back off. Let’s back the trolley down. Like, you need to be humbled just a bit.’ I’m grateful for it, man.”
The ‘One Tree Hill’ Star Credits Jamie Lee Curtis With Helping Keep ‘Freaky Friday’ Alive
While Murray’s career slowed down after he left “One Tree Hill” following season 6 in 2009, he has stepped back into the spotlight in recent years. He reprised his role as Jake in 2025’s “Freakier Friday,” and also appeared in Hallmark movies like “Write Before Christmas,” “Colors of Love,” “Angel Falls Christmas,” and “Road to Christmas.”
Murray has long been associated with early-2000s hits, including playing Lucas Scott on “One Tree Hill” and Austin Ames in “A Cinderella Story.” For many fans, though, his role as Jake in the “Freaky Friday” films remains a favorite — especially since it put him on screen with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan when he was just 19.
On the podcast, Murray shared that Curtis made a strong impression on him long before they worked together. He recalled watching “Trading Places” — where Curtis played a sex worker — with his father when he was younger.
“She’s a hooker in that. And I think that was when I was like, ‘Oh, nope. I like girls,’” Murray told Spinosa. “That was one of those moments.”
“I was like, ‘What is that? I feel something,’” he joked.
Years later, meeting Curtis on the set of 2003’s “Freaky Friday” lived up to the hype.
“She’s awesome,” Murray said. “She was the first person that I ever got to have the opportunity to work with, where I was like, ‘Okay, this is like an icon.’”
Murray also praised Curtis’ career and her place in Hollywood history.
“[She was] born in it, raised in it, continued to do it, then lived up to expectations,” he said. “Then she goes and has ‘Halloween’ and ‘True Lies,’ and ‘Trading Places’ and all these unbelievable films.”
Murray said he believes Curtis played a major role in making the sequel happen, telling Spinosa: “It’s just all Jamie Lee — Jamie Lee made it happen.”
