Was Chad Michael Murray in ‘Gossip Girl’?
In the early ’00s, CW series like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, and The O.C., reigned supreme, with stars such as Chad Michael Murray gaining fame on the network. Looking back, these shows remain a staple of the time, and have gained a new audience via streaming services. Though Murray showed up in multiple series, it turns out Gossip Girl wasn’t one of them.
Why fans wonder if Chad Michael Murray was in ‘Gossip Girl’
Murray was an almost intrinsic part of the 2000s teen drama revival. He landed back-to-back recurring roles in popular series. First, he played Rory’s Chilton love interest, Tristan, in Gilmore Girls. Then, he appeared in several episodes of Dawson’s Creek, taking on a similar bad boy persona as Charlie.
A lot of swoon-worthy 20-somethings appeared on the network around this time. Gossip Girl attracted the likes of Sebastian Stan, Armie Hammer, and many other young men who later became famous. So Murray would fit right in. However, he didn’t ever actually make an appearance.
One Tree Hill was Murray’s main home on TV
After proving himself as a WB favorite, Murray scored his own series. He portrayed Lucas Scott in One Tree Hill, which began airing in 2003. The heart-of-gold basketball player and literary connoisseur cemented his place as a teen heartthrob for the ages.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the role became bigger than just the show itself. Through a deal with CW, he became the face of the network’s then-innovative practice of having stars endorse products while promoting their shows. The smoldering teen drama star represented brands like MasterCard, Kmart, Cingular Wireless, and Chevrolet.
Murray, alongside co-star Hilarie Burton, didn’t stick around for One Tree Hill‘s the entire run. While the show lost viewers in their absence, and thus its flagship status for the CW, it wrapped after nine seasons in 2012 with solid ratings. Murray returned for one episode during the final season to give a proper goodbye to longtime fans.
Murray kept his schedule packed after his exit from One Tree Hill
Why did Murray leave One Tree Hill? According to the actor himself, it came down to dollars and cents. “They’re not bringing me back next year…because they want to save money,” he reportedly said in a video (via E! News). The actor encouraged fans to “start blogging and being pissed off” at the executives. However, the decision remained final. Murray and Burton left the series.
After One Tree Hill, Murray had minor roles in films like Fruitvale Station and A Madea Christmas. He’s made his mark in several holiday TV movies, and even dipped his toe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying Jack Thompson in Agent Carter.
In 2019, Murray made his way back to where it all started — a CW teen drama. He played Edgar Evernever in Riverdale, finally graduating from the young heartthrob role to that of the older, yet still easy on the eyes, love interest.
