Celebrity
Sophia Bush Pays Tribute To One Tree Hill Costar Paul Teal
The show's cast is mourning the actor, who died at 35.
Sophia Bush is mourning a loss in her One Tree Hill family. On Nov. 18, the actor took to Instagram Stories to pay tribute to her former One Tree Hill co-star Paul Teal, who died on Nov. 15 at 35 years old.
“Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal. We are just starting to watch his OTH episodes on @dramaqueensoth and he’s such a talent,” she wrote, referring to her rewatch podcast Drama Queens with co-stars Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz.
Lenz also paid tribute by sharing a video montage on Instagram, recalling how they starred in a musical production of The Notebook together before he got cast on OTH. “My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without trying,” she wrote. “His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him.”
Teal joined One Tree Hill in 2010 as Josh Avery, an actor who went on to make a sex tape with Alex Dupre (Jana Kramer) and threatened to release it. But after finding out that he was gay and closeted, Alex covered for him and pretended to be his girlfriend in front of his parents. In her tribute, Lenz revealed that she directed his first OTH episode and had thought of him for the role.
“I was giddy to be directing an episode of One Tree Hill where I’d get to cast a new recurring character, Josh — the sleazy movie star,” she wrote. “With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part. He was a joy to work with in any environment and so generous.”
Kramer also acknowledged Teal’s death on her Instagram Story. “Sending love and prayers to @paulteal family and friends,” she wrote. “I had the absolute pleasure of working with him on season 7 of OTH.”
Teal’s passing was announced by his partner Emilia Torello on Instagram three days after his death. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future,” she wrote. “You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies, and my heart with love. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”
She later told TMZ that he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer in April and was filming a series, The Hunting Wives, during his battle. “When he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him,” she said. “He was the most diligent and dedicated person. I truly believed with all of my heart that he would come out the other side of this because of those traits.”
