Profile of One Tree Hill Heartthrob Chad Michael Murray

Did you know that before Chad become an actor, he worked as both a donut shop janitor and a receptionist for a limousine company?

Actor Chad Michael Murray with his good looks and ability to melt young girls' hearts currently stars on the WB's One Tree Hill as Lucas Scott, an intellectual struggling to find his place in the town of Tree Hill.

Murray was born on August 24, 1981 in Buffalo, New York, where he was raised and also attended college on a scholarship. When he was 4, Chad performed skits and sang silly songs for his family, which includes four brothers and a sister. Sadly, his mother abandoned his family when he was just 10 years old. To make things worse, he was picked on as a young child by bullies and actually had his teeth knocked out at one time.

At age 15, he had a serious football injury that caused a problem with his small intestine which landed him to the hospital. There, a nurse encouraged him to pursue a modeling career. Two years later, Chad won a scholarship from a modeling agency in Buffalo to attend a modeling convention in Orlando. An agent spotted him and brought him to Los Angeles. Murray started modeling for such clients as Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci.

While in LA searching for an acting role, Murray financially supported himself by continuing to model. Murray's first television role soon followed with a guest appearance on Diagnosis Murder. His next television roles included playing the love interest to both Joey (Katie Holmes) and Jen (Michelle Williams) on Dawson's Creek, a previous WB hit sitcom that ended a few years ago. He also appeared in a recurring roll as Rory's (Alexis Bledel) overconfident classmate, Tristan, on Gilmore Girls. Other television credits include Aftermath, with Meredith Baxter Birney and Robert Ulrich as well as the title role in the WB's The Lone Ranger.

On the movie screen, Chad Michael Murray starred as Prince Charming in Warner Bros' A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff. Additionally, he stars as the lead in Joel Silver's remake of House Of Wax with Elisha Cuthbert. He also co-starred in Disney's critically acclaimed remake of Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.

Murray is presently popular for his lead character role in One Tree Hill. The show is set in the affluent suburb of Tree Hill, NC (which is actually Wilmington, NC, my home place). This teen-oriented WB drama tells the story of two half-brothers united only by a common name.

Sullen Lucas (Chad) is a basketball legend in his own small blue-collar community while his arrogant half-sibling Nathan is even more celebrated as the star player of Tree Hill High's varsity basketball squad. Both boys are the sons of former pro basketball player Dan Scott who had long ago abandoned both Lucas and his mother, Karen to start life over with a new wife and family.

One Tree Hill airs every Tuesday at 9pm eastern time on the WB.

Murray is engaged to One Tree Hill crew member Kenzie Dalton. Murray was previously married to Sophia Bush, a co-star on One Tree Hill. The pair split last September after five months of marriage.

Murray is an anti-drug role model for kids and is active in charities for children and teens in his spare time. Catch him on One Tree Hill this Tuesday!