‘One Tree Hill’ Star Reveals Lifelong Battle With Anxiety: ‘It’s Never Gonna Go Away’ originally appeared on Parade.
Chad Michael Murray might seem calm, cool and collected on the surface, but in reality, the former teen heartthrob has long contended with a serious case of anxiety.
Though he’s been understandably reluctant to discuss his issues with anxiety in the past, the 43-year-old One Tree Hill and Freaky Friday actor has recently opened up about his struggles with the condition.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, for example, the prolific actor who’s also known for his roles in Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek and Riverdale candidly assessed his current mental health, pointedly mentioning that his anxiety is unlikely to ever fully disappear.
“It’s never gonna go away,” Murray told Newsweek. “It’s not like you beat it. You just kind of put your head down and you find your way through it.”
Evaluating his own mental health over the years, Murray said that he first noticed his anxiety when he was 21-years-old, right around the time he was making headlines for portraying One Tree Hill‘s angsty lead character, Lucas Scott.
Seeking therapy at a time when it was “not popular or cool” to receive psychiatric treatment, Murray bluntly said he needed a professional to help improve his mental state.
“It always helps to have somebody and have an outlet to talk to, find a different perspective on it, find a new trick that can help you overcome anxiety, fear, health concerns, whatever it may be,” Murray reflected.
Even now, 20 years later, the 43-year-old Murray admits to feeling random instances of anxiety crop up in his daily life.
“If you ask me to dinner, no, I’d freak out,” Murray said. “I don’t know why. It’s really hard for me to go to dinner. It’s hard for me to go to new places,” adding “I’m a homebody. I’m a total introvert.”
By discussing his experiences with anxiety, though, the Freakier Friday star hopes to be able to someone going through a similar struggle.
“Part of me realized that maybe someone else out there could connect with that and say, ‘Oh, I go through that, but he overcame it,'” he said.
‘One Tree Hill’ Star Reveals Lifelong Battle With Anxiety: ‘It’s Never Gonna Go Away’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 30, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
