You won’t believe which One Tree Hill co-star Bethany Joy Lenz had a huge crush on! And no, it was not Chad Michael Murray!
In her new memoir, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!), the actress opened up more than ever about her time on the beloved show. Recalling the first table read with the entire cast of One Tree Hill, Bethany shared that she was very excited to work with two actors in particular — Paul Johansson and Craig Sheffer, who portrayed brothers Dan and Keith, respectively. Why? They were ’90s heartthrobs! Among numerous other roles, Paul had been a recurring presence on Beverly Hills, 90210, and Craig was Brad Pitt‘s brother in A River Runs Through It.
Related: You Won’t BELIEVE What Bethany Was Warned One Tree Hill Was About Before Filming!
And she actually developed a massive crush on one of them throughout the series! Which one? It turns out Bethany had a thing for… Craig Sheffer! OMG!
While recounting their previous work, the singer said The Program star had a “rugged vibe” that “worked for him very well,” adding:
“I developed a crush on him, too, which Paul would later taunt me about endlessly.”
Wow! And not even their cringeworthy first interaction stopped her from crushing on him! She recalled:
“The first thing Craig said to me, after doing a double take under the room’s harsh fluorescent lights, was ‘Whoah, you look like a monster!’ Which is always nice for a young woman to hear.”
What a way to break a girl’s heart! Ouch! Craig was not the only co-star she had a crush on, though. In the book, Bethany said she became very close to Tyler Hilton, who played Chris Keller, as they sang and recorded together in Wilmington, North Carolina, while filming the show and went on tour. She ended up developing feelings for him at one point:
“Even though he didn’t share my faith (or my Family), I was developing a big crush on him.”
However, their bond took a hit when Tyler learned she was in a religious cult:
“As the tour continued on, Tyler seemed to want more space away from me. I didn’t understand why until he called me in my hotel room one night.”
Apparently, his tour manager found out about a story surrounding Bethany’s ties to the Big House Family cult. Tyler confronted her about it since his name was attached to the story since they were “hanging out so much.” While Bethany denied it at the time, their relationship was never the same after:
“Tyler always treated me normally from then forward, but I hated having it hang over me. He had become a good friend, crush or no crush, and it hurt to have people keep distancing themselves from me.”
Oof…
Are you surprised by Bethany’s crushes? Let us know in the comments below!
[Image via One Tree Hill/Warner Bros. Television]
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