Actor Paul Johansson, who portrayed the villainous Dan Scott in “One Tree Hill,” has revealed that one of his most embarrassing moments from the show involved a major injury.
In a new interview, Johansson recalled leaning against a glass desk during rehearsals, only for it to suddenly explode beneath him. Consequently, a large shard of glass became lodged into his backside.
Rather than immediately admit to the rest of the cast and crew that he was hurt, Johansson instead tried to pretend nothing had happened. This was largely due to the bizarre nature of the accident and the unfortunate location of the injury.
The actor was unable to hide his significant wound for long, though, with the bleeding leaving a trail of blood on the floor behind him. “I was so embarrassed,” he explained.
Paul Johansson’s Glass Desk Suddenly Exploded
Johansson shared the gruesome story of what happened while appearing on the “(Not) Over the Hill” podcast with former co-star Barbara Alyn Woods. The accident itself happened while he was rehearsing a scene in Scott’s mayoral office.
Johansson jokingly explained that he’d gained some weight at the time, referring to himself as “fat Dan Scott.” While eating his breakfast of a burrito and orange juice during the rehearsal, he leaned on the glass and it immediately exploded.
This led to a shard of glass going between three and four inches into his backside. Despite being asked by everyone around if he was hurt, Johansson initially insisted he was fine and tried to walk away to his dressing room.
“There was a trail of blood all the way to my dressing room,” he said.
Johansson Pulled the Glass Out Himself
The story became even more painful, with Johansson revealing what he did upon reaching his dressing room. Out of embarrassment and not wanting anyone to see exactly how he was injured, he removed the glass shard himself.
“I almost fainted,” he admitted. The actor then held toilet paper against the injury to try and stop the bleeding.
Eventually, members of the production staff sent him away to be seen by medical professionals when it became clear the true extent of his injury. The wound was so bad that it required stitches.
Johansson went on to say that he has largely avoided telling the story because he finds it so embarrassing. However, he is now able to see the funny side of what happened to him.
Johansson portrayed Scott throughout all nine seasons of “One Tree Hill.” He was a series regular through the first seven seasons, before only appearing as a guest in season 8 before returning to a more meaningful role in the ninth and final season.
As Scott, he was the father of both Nathan and Lucas Scott and acted as primary antagonist throughout much of the show.
