Chad Michael Murray Goes Deep on What Romance Means to Him

Chad Michael Murray in 'Sullivan's Crossing.'

Twenty years after stealing hearts as Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill, Chad Michael Murray is coming home to The CW with a new drama, Sullivan’s Crossing. But a lot has changed since he wore his Ravens jersey on the network.

"I've had so much growth over the last 20 something years," Murray, who was cleared by SAG-AFTRA to do publicity for Sullivan's Crossing, told Parade in an exclusive new interview.

The A Cinderella Story star, 42, married his wife Sarah Roemer in 2015 and is now a proud father of three. "I'm a family man. I've got my amazing wife and three beautiful babies and that's my pack," he said.

As he's gotten older, Murray's outlook on romance has changed, as has his need to constantly look ahead rather than living in the present. "I feel grateful to just be at peace in a moment now, where I wasn't before," he shared. "I was always looking forward instead of just enjoying what was right in front of me."

Right in front of him now—in addition to his family—is a role in the romance drama Sullivan’s Crossing. Based on Robyn Carr's book series, the show follows neurosurgeon Maggie (Morgan Kohan) as she returns to the tight-knit community of Sullivan’s Crossing after experiencing a professional setback in Boston. There, she’s reunited with her father, Sully (Scott Patterson), and eventually befriended by a mysterious man named Cal (Murray). (Let's just say they don't start out on the friendliest of terms.)

Related: Where Is the 'One Tree Hill' Cast Now?

Continue reading for more from Parade's exclusive interview with Chad Michael Murray, including what the OTH alum had to say about his latest role, the meaning of romance and more.

How would you describe Sullivan's Crossing?

Sullivan's Crossing is a romance drama. That's what I will start with. I will say that Sullivan's Crossing is a place you go to heal. Sullivan's Crossing is a place where you go to grow and to be honest with yourself. Sullivan's Crossing reminds me of a few other shows that I can't mention right now because we are on strike.

It's been 20 years since One Tree Hill premiered on The CW. How does it feel to return to the network with a new drama?

I am so blessed and grateful to be here, and it feels very full circle. Coming back here to do a show with similar undertones to one that I've done in the past... And I've had so much growth over the last 20 something years. As we all do, right? And here I am, back here. It feels comfortable. Feels nice to be home.

I love a drama with romance, like Sullivan's Crossing. Is it safe to assume that you do, too, given several of your acting credits? Do you consider yourself a romantic?

You know, I gotta tell ya...probably [laughs]. Who knows? I'm probably awful at it. But I'm a family man. I've got my amazing wife and three beautiful babies and that's my pack. I'm learning to appreciate romance more and more and more. I think when I was younger, romance was an idea to me, but now I think romance is in the little things that you never thought were romantic before. Like let's say I work 14 hours, and I come home and I'm exhausted and usually you just want to take your clothes off and just go to bed, right? But let's say my wife's under the weather or I can tell she's just run down from being with the kids all day. [I] clock in and go, "I got this." I run over and do the dishes and pick up and put the kids to bed and be like, "Go, go, go, go rest. I got this. We're fine." That's romantic to me in a different way than it ever would have been when I was, say, 20. That to me is teamwork. That to me is love. That to me is what I find beautiful. So I don't know if I answered your question.

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You did and I agree. It is in those little things. I was actually going to ask what you think is the most romantic thing you've ever done or what your wife would consider the most romantic thing you've ever done for her?

I have not the slightest idea. I'm sure it's something that I don't even know I did. You know, she's my person. We function on the same wavelength. There's been plenty of amazing, unbelievable moments, whether they be [related to] romance or just carrying the other uphill. Because everyone's got good days and bad days where you're just like, "I'm out today. I'm tired. I don't know what's going on, but the world needs me to sleep today" [laughs].

Being able to read your partner is such an important piece of relationships, because you have to be able to know, I need to step up a little bit more. "Today you're at 20 percent, I'll take the other 80." You've got to equal it out. So, I don't know. I'd have to ask her and who knows, maybe she'd say sushi?

Going back to the show, Maggie flees Boston for Sullivan's Crossing. Like Maggie, is there a place that you like to escape to or go to heal when you feel like you need to get away?

The bedroom [laughs]? I clock off and I just go and I put on sports and just kind of close the door when I need some quiet time. No, there's something very healing about nature and we do camping trips with the fam. It's nice to turn off cell phones, disappear, say, “World, we're doing family time. We're out. No emails. I will not respond. So, sorry. My apologies. I love you all, but we're going out into the woods."

What's so beautiful about this show and why people, I believe, will just want more and more of it is because it's slowing things down. We all work so hard that we don't ever live. I think in this show there's a lot more living than there is work.

Related: 'Virgin River' Author Robyn Carr Weighs in on the Differences Between the Show and the Books

That kind of segues into my next question. Maggie felt like she lost herself because of her career. Can you relate to that feeling of losing yourself because you were too career focused?

Oh, 100 percent. I completely relate to that—for sure in my 20s, because I didn't know up or down. My brain wasn't fully developed yet. You just get so obsessed with the idea [of success], but you don't really know what that idea is and what you're striving for. I feel grateful to just be at peace in a moment now, where I wasn't before. I was always looking forward instead of just enjoying what was right in front of me. I have now learned to just enjoy the moment and to not look past this moment. Right now. We're having a cool conversation. I love it. This is great. We're in the moment. And I don't need to worry about five minutes from now. That doesn't mean don't make a plan, don't prepare for things. It just means when you're there, be there.

What do you think was that turning point for you?

I have no idea. I mean, there was a moment in my life when I turned heavily towards faith. I know that changed me as a human and helped me do a complete 180 and I'm grateful for that. Just because I feel more grounded. I feel I can breathe fresh air. I feel like I know what I want. I know what makes me happy, and I just feel like I want to give. It just makes you more selfless. I just feel like I want to give and love and be kind and those are the fun things for me. Faith is a huge part of that for me. It's the foundation of my entire world right now. Not right now, but period.

Speaking of fresh air, the show films in Canada. How's the experience filming up there?

It's fantastic. We're on the East Coast in Halifax. It is a hidden gem. This place is absolutely magic. When you're flying here, you kind of feel like "Okay, where am I going?” It kind of looks like life before people. And then, boom, you hit Halifax. We're out there every day and it's just such a breath of fresh air filming.

I'm assuming that your family obviously went with you to Canada?

Always. Always. Never leave home without them.

How did they enjoy moving to Canada? What was that experience like for them and did they go to set with you?

Oh, yeah. I mean, we're so used to it. We live out of a suitcase pretty much primarily. When we came here last year, we made a really quick decision [to] get as immersed in the community as we possibly could. And so my boy started playing football, my daughter joined dance class and then they both decided amongst themselves like, "Hey, you know what? We want to try going to school." Because we were homeschooling forever. We're like, "Okay, great." So we just dialed ourselves into this community so much and we love it here.

Were they happy going to school?

I gotta say that I never at any point in my life was like, "Yes, I love school." Every day they come home saying how much they love school. They can't wait to go back.

Now before I let you go...for viewers who haven't watched Sullivan's Crossing (it premiered in Canada earlier this year), why should they tune in?

Oh, for the romance. You got to get your popcorn ready for the romance. It's a fantastic drama that's good for the whole fam, and I think that it's gonna tug at your heartstrings.

Sullivan's Crossing premieres on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Next, Here Is Everything to Know About Sullivan's Crossing