Chad Michael Murray is proving once again why he remains one of the defining heartthrobs of his generation.
The Hallmark alum, known for his roles in films such as “Sand Dollar Cove,” caused a major buzz online after posing shirtless for a photo with a fan while on vacation, reigniting longtime obsessions with the former “One Tree Hill” star.
Fan Catches Murray Soaking Up the Sun While on Vacation
Tory Halpin, the fan who posted the photo on her Instagram, wrote in the caption, “Team Lucas forever and ever 🙇🏼♀️🫶💛,” which is a reference to Murray’s iconic role as Lucas Scott on “OTH.”
Fans in the comments couldn’t quite contain themselves:
“THIS IS SO COOL!!! DID HE TAKE THE PIC TOO!?!?” one fan asked. Halpin confirmed that it was indeed Murray who held her phone up to pose for the photo. She replied, “yes selfie!!”
“This is the best day of all of our lives. 💃💃💃”
“He’s so nice to fans! I got a photo with him and some other OTH fans in 2009 in Wilmington 😊”
“Omg! CMM in the flesh! Dreamy 🙌❤️”
“Whattttttttt immm dyiinnggggg”
Remembering Murray’s Role in Hallmark’s Summer Staple ‘Sand Dollar Cove’
Murray’s vacation selfie brings to mind his laid-back charm as Brody Bradshaw in the 2021 film “Sand Dollar Cove,” who is the romantic lead opposite Aly Michalka.
The synopsis for the film reads, “Stamford developer Elli works on acquiring a beachfront property in Sand Dollar Cove, a quaint Connecticut beach town, but falls for the town’s charm and property owner in the process,” per Hallmark Channel.
“I love bringing wholesome content to the air. I love bringing joy to people’s faces. That’s why I became an actor in the first place,” Murray said at the time when speaking about the film in an interview with TV Fanatic.
He continued, “That makes me happy. They sent me a few scripts over the course of the last year or so that just didn’t work out, timing-wise, for whatever reason. Then this one came down the pipeline.”
Murray also discussed how he related to the character of Brody in a personal way.
“I thought Brody is somebody that I could sink my teeth into,” he said in the interview. “And I liked what he stood for. I liked his zest for life. His love for his hometown reminded me very much of my love for Buffalo and just a lot of different things.”
Later in the interview, he described his character as “the heart of Sand Dollar Cove.”
In a separate interview with Culturess, Murray discussed the film and how he enjoys putting out positive content for everyone while still getting to do other projects. “I get a nice mix because on the side I can run out and do a dark little indie film, or some crazy drama somewhere. And then come back and dial it in for some good wholesome content with Hallmark and tell their story,” he said.
“My biggest hope and prayer for Sand Dollar Cove is that it brings a lot of joy to people who need it,” Murray continued. He explained how that was especially important because, at the time the film came out, they were only a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic.
