Some famous faces are simply synonymous with the early 2000s, and Chad Michael Murray happens to be one of them. Chad Michael Murray, best known for his roles in iconic 2000s TV shows like One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls, has remained a favorite among teen drama fans. With his charming demeanor, Murray became a defining face of an era.
Born on August 24th, 1981, Chad celebrated his 43rd birthday in 2024. He was raised in Buffalo, New York, where he has returned to with his own family now.
The 6-foot tall star resides in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is known to audiences of One Tree Hill (2003), where he played the character of Lucas Scott. The model-turned-actor has also serenaded Jamie Lee Curtis with Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time" in Freaky Friday (2003), became Hilary Duff's "Prince Charming" in A Cinderella Story (2004), and even watched Paris Hilton die a violent on-screen death in House of Wax (2005).
Chad Michael Murray was born in Buffalo, New York. His father was an air traffic controller, and his mother abandoned the family when Murray was very young.
Murray had a large family, including three brothers, a sister, a half-brother a step-sister and a step-brother. Murray played football in high school until he broke his nose. Before breaking into acting, Murray did some modeling. He modeled for clients like Skechers, Gucci and Tommy Hilfiger before being cast in his first major role, a recurring character on Gilmore Girls (CW, 2000-07).
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He appeared in numerous other series including Undressed (MTV, 1999-2002) and Dawson's Creek (WB, 1998-2003). In 2003 Murray's breakthrough tole came when he was cast as the protagonist of One Tree Hill (WB, 2003-2011). It was on the set of One Tree Hill that Murray met Sophia Bush, who would later become his wife. Murray appeared in a number of feature films, such as Freaky Friday (2003), House of Wax (2005), Home of the Brave (2006) and Christmas Cupid (ABC Family, 2010).
In addition to acting, Murray was a writer who penned a novel Everlast which was published in September of 2011. In August of 2014 Murray was cast in the series Agent Carter (ABC, 2015-16).
Murray attended Clarence High School in Clarence, New York. He became a fan of literature and played football. As a teenager, he worked at the Dipson Theatres in Eastern Hills Mall. In his late teens, he broke his nose. This led to reports during his career that he had received a nose job.
Murray clarified in a 2004 interview, "I got jumped in a Burger King when I was 18 and had my nose put on the other side of my face. It was three guys [...] The doctors didn't even bother running X-rays. They just reset it.
In 2000, he guest starred as Dan on the MTV drama anthology series Undressed on the episode "Scared Stiffy" which aired on March 8 as part of its second season. Later that year, Murray was cast in the role of rich kid Tristin DuGray on The WB television series Gilmore Girls as a recurring character in the first season which debuted on October 5 and in an episode of the second season the next year. The series became a hit and Murray would go onto become a staple actor on the network for the rest of the decade.
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In 2001, he was cast in a television pilot for The WB, the family drama Murphy's Dozen, which revolved around 12 children and their parents in an Irish American family in New Jersey. The lead actress Kathy Baker signed on in March and the pilot was screened for the network in May but was not picked up for the fall season. Murray portrayed the role of teenage David Alexander in Christian Apocalyptic fiction film Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 which released on September 7.
Murray was cast in the role of womanizer Charlie Todd on The WB's hit television series Dawson's Creek as a recurring character in the fifth season which premiered on October 10. In 2003, Murray began the year appearing in the family drama television film A Long Way Home, also known as Aftermath, playing the role of Sean in a family trying to reconcile following domestic sexual abuse.
He next played the lead role of Luke Hartman on The WB's western television film The Lone Ranger which aired on February 26 and served as a backdoor pilot for a potential series run. Murray was cast in the role of love-interest Jake in the Walt Disney Pictures comedy film Freaky Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, which released in theaters on August 6. It was Disney's third adaptation of the 1972 children's novel of the same name authored by Mary Rodgers.
Later that year, he was cast in the lead role of Lucas Scott on The WB series One Tree Hill which debuted on September 23, 2003. The first-season finale garnered 4.50 million viewers. The series was one of The WB's most successful programs the year it began and continued with impressive ratings after the network merged with rival UPN to become The CW in 2006.
The series earned Murray six Teen Choice Award nominations over the years, including winning Choice TV - Breakout Actor in August 2004 and Choice TV Actor - Drama in August 2008. In 2004, Murray starred as Austin Ames in the romantic comedy film A Cinderella Story alongside Hilary Duff which released in July 16. The film was a box office success, earning $70.1 million worldwide, but was panned by critics.
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The film earned Murray the award for Choice Movie - Breakout Actor in August 2004 and several more nominations at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. He is the first person to win their awards for Breakout Actor in both the TV and Movie categories in the same year. He next co-starred as Nick Jones in the horror film House of Wax which released theatrically on May 6, 2005. The film earned Murray two more Teen Choice Award nominations, including winning Choice Movie Actor - Action/Thriller in August 2005. Murray was listed as one of "Fall TV's Sexiest Guys" by People magazine in September 2005, and was the cover model for Teen People magazine that same month.
He played the role of Private Jordan Owens in the Iraq War drama film Home of the Brave, alongside Samuel L. Murray was listed at #12 on AOL Television's list of "TV's 50 Hottest Hunks Ever" on November 4, 2008. In May 2009, it was reported that Murray would not be returning to One Tree Hill for its seventh season.
A video of Murray was recorded in which he was telling fans that they did not want him back because they wanted to save money. In 2010, Murray played the love-interest of Alicia Keys in her music video for "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" which premiered on BET's 106 & Park on May 12. The video depicts the burgeoning romance of a young interracial couple reimagined across different eras, from the 1950s through the 2000s. It won Outstanding Music Video at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards in March 2011.
Murray played the role of Ethan McAllister in the drama television film Lies in Plain Sight which aired on Lifetime on October 3, 2010. On August 29, 2011, The CW announced that Murray would return for a guest appearance as Lucas Scott in the final season of One Tree Hill. The episode aired on February 22, 2012, as part of the concluding ninth season.
He then played the male lead Jamie Tworkowski in the biographical drama film To Write Love on Her Arms which premiered on March 11, 2012, at the Omaha Film Festival where it won the Encore Award. He next played the role of Thatcher in the short film The Carrier which premiered on April 27, 2012, at the USA Film Festival. On March 12, it was reported that he was cast to play the male lead Spider Elliot in a television pilot for ABC, Scruples, with Claire Forlani playing the female lead Billy Orsini and with Natalie Portman serving as an executive producer.
In 2013, Murray played the role of Officer Ingram in the biographical drama film Fruitvale Station, which chronicles the last day of Oscar Grant, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, who was shot and killed by a BART Police officer in Oakland, California. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 19 before releasing theatrically on July 12, becoming a critical and box office success, earning $17.4 million from a budget of under a million.
Murray next played male lead Andy Wyrick in the horror film The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia which released on February 1. The film, inspired by the true events surrounding the Wyrick family, is Murray's first role playing a father. He guest starred as Officer Dave Mendoza in the crime drama series Southland on two episodes during its concluding fifth season which premiered on TNT on February 13. It marked his on-screen union with its co-star Ben McKenzie (Officer Ben Sherman), who had played Ryan Atwood on popular teen drama The O.C.
On October 9, 2013, it was reported that Murray was cast to join action-thriller series Chosen on Crackle. He played the lead role of Jacob Orr in the second season which premiered on December 12 that year and in the third season which released on April 15, 2014. Murray played the role of Jay in comedy film Cavemen which premiered on October 26 at the 2013 Austin Film Festival before a limited theatrical release on February 7, 2014.
He played the role of Tanner McCoy in comedy film A Madea Christmas which released theatrically on December 13, 2013. Murray next co-starred in the apocalyptic thriller film Left Behind, playing the role of Cameron "Buck" Williams, alongside Nicolas Cage and Jordin Sparks. The film, based on the novel series of the same name authored by Jerry B.
Later in 2015, he guest starred on the Fox black comedy series Scream Queens on a November 24 episode during its first season, playing Chad Radwell's older brother Brad. Murray starred as the male lead "P.K." in the romantic drama film Other People's Children which premiered on August 15 at the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival where it won the Best of Festival award.
Murray starred as Henry in the western film Outlaws and Angels which premiered on January 25 at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, before a limited theatrical release on July 15. In 2018, he played the male lead Brett Beauchamps in the drama television film The Beach House, alongside Minka Kelly and Andie MacDowell, which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on April 28.
He next played the male lead Jack in horror film Camp Cold Brook which premiered on August 25 at the HorrorHound Film Festival, before a limited theatrical release on February 14, 2020. In 2021, he starred as Joel Sheehan in the film Colors of Love which received a limited theatrical release on February 4, before premiering on GAC Family on October 23 under the title An Autumn Romance as its first original movie. The film, based on the 2014 novel Tycoon's Kiss authored by Jane Porter, is the second with Murray and Lowndes together.
He starred as Brody Bradshaw in the television film Sand Dollar Cove which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on June 26. He starred as Gabe on the television film Angel Falls Christmas which premiered on GAC Family on November 26, marking the third film between Murray and Lowndes. He starred as Kevin Vaughn on the television film Toying with the Holidays which premiered on Lifetime on December 18.
Murray authored a graphic novel, Everlast, which released in November 2011. In November 2017, he released American Drifter: An Exhilarating Tale of Love and Murder, which he co-authored with novelist Heather Graham.
On April 6, 2006, it was reported that Murray was engaged to Kenzie Dalton, an actress and Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2006 runner-up; at the time, he was 24 and she was 18. In September 2013, Murray began dating his Left Behind co-star, Australian actress Nicky Whelan.
In 2014, Murray began dating his Chosen co-star Sarah Roemer.
Chad Michael Murray's Family Life
But what about Chad Michael Murray's wife and family life? Married to actress Sarah Roemer since September 2014, the famous couple recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. Despite their high-profile careers, with one of Murray's latest films, Mother of the Bride, having premiered in May 2024, the couple prioritize their family time.
"It was the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I mean, having kids is just, it's a game changer," Murray shared with Entertainment Tonight. "I think you're always walking around with the mentality that you want to make sure that they're proud and represent them well."
While they tend to keep their personal lives away from the public eye (much like Murray's former One Tree Hill co-star, James Lafferty and his wife Alexandra Park), the couple do occasionally share glimpses of their life together.
Chad Michael Murray is married to Sarah Roemer. Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer share three children together.
Who is Chad Michael Murray's Wife, Sarah Roemer?
Chad Michael Murray's spouse, Sarah Roemer, was born on August 28, 1984, in San Diego, California. An actress and model, Roemer gained widespread recognition for her role in the 2007 thriller Disturbia, where she starred opposite Shia LaBeouf. Her first big TV role came in 2010 with the series The Event, which she starred in with Jason Ritter. She then went on to star in Chosen as Avery Sharp and appear as a guest star on Hawaii Five-O and Daybreak.
Her most recent role was in the 2021 film Survive the Game, which starred Murray and Bruce Willis.
How Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer Met
According to a story by People, Murray and Roemer met in 2013 while filming the Crackle TV series Chosen.
Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer's Relationship Timeline
- 2013: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer first meet
The couple first met on the set of Chosen, when Murray joined the second season.
- 2014: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer get married
Murray and Roemer got married in September 2014, but have not publicly shared any details about their wedding. They didn't even announce their nuptials until January 2015, when they also shared that they were expecting their first child together.
"I'm a romantic. I'm a family guy. I want that core. I tend to keep everything quiet. I love my life. That's the part I keep for myself," Murray told E! News.
- 2015: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer welcome their first child
The couple welcomed their first child together, a son whose name has not been shared publicly.
- 2017: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer welcome a second child into their family
Murray and Roemer welcome a daughter into their family.
- 2021: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer adopt a dog
The couple adopted an adorable golden retriever named Jett in October 2021.
- 2023: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer welcome their third child
The couple welcome a third child to the family, another daughter.
- 2024: Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer celebrate their 10th anniversary
Murray and Roemer celebrated 10 years of marriage together in September 2024. Murray shared a sweet post on Instagram, honoring this big milestone.
"10 years… We've jammed more into this 10 years than I ever could've imagined. It's truly astounding. It's been the best decade of my life by far-sharing each and every moment with you," he said in the caption. "We've grown this little pack together and seen so much of the world as a family. I'm so grateful for you Sarah."
Roemer shared a similar post, writing, "It's been more than I could have ever dreamed of. I love our family with my whole heart and soul. Thank you for the most beautiful 10 years together. You are an incredible husband, father, best friend and so so so much more.
Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer's Engagement
Details about Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer's engagement have been kept private, reflecting their preference for maintaining personal aspects of their relationship away from the public eye.
Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer's Wedding
The couple married in September 2014, though specific details about their wedding ceremony, including the exact date and location, have not been publicly disclosed.
Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer's Children
Chad Michael Murray and Sarah Roemer have three children: A son born in 2015, a daughter born in 2017 and another daughter born in 2023.
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