Movies News Talk
News of Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton's leaving from the program leaked just before the season 6 finale broadcast in May 2009. Though the show had been extended for a seventh season, neither actor decided to extend their contracts, which terminated following season 6. Burton had no remorse about leaving; her only motivation was to fly and investigate other prospects in the realm of film and television. Former costar Jana Kramer clarified in an interview for her podcast Whine Down, in 2020:
"I absolutely have no regret about this. I knew I had to launch a fresh project. Time was passing. I just wanted to drop the massive chip I had on my shoulder. As she discussed in her 2020 autobiography, The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Burton had gone through a lot of upheaval on Mischief Farm in the years before leaving One Tree Hill. The actress so jumped at the chance to change her life when the option to leave—the expiration of her contract—presented itself. Burton met her future husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, got a starring position in White Collar, and started shooting Christmas films meant for television after leaving.
Like numerous stars of yesteryear, Hilarie Burton has tapped into her time as Peyton on One Tree Hill by launching a podcast called Drama Queens, analyzing and deconstructing the show, providing an in-depth retrospection for lifetime viewers. Burton joins with Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz; the revisit podcast debuted in 2021. Since then, there have been 173 episodes and counting; Audible and iTunes now carry them. The three even toured in 2022, doing several episodes in front of an audience live. Drama Queens is still running strong, with fresh episodes broadcast as of June 2024, despite speculations of a conflict between Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz in early 2024 (via Glamour).
For viewers of the program who wish to hear her side of the story, Hilarie Burton has revealed numerous specifics about her time on One Tree Hill and her departure from the show on Drama Queens several times. There is maybe no greater source of information.
Hilarie Burton said she was willing to play Peyton Sawyer again after leaving, but she never visited One Tree Hill for the last three seasons of the show. She was riding off into the sunset with Lucas and their newborn daughter, Sawyer Scott, at the end of season 6 finale last time fans saw her character. After getting married and having Sawyer, Lucas and Peyton opted to leave Tree Hill; Lucas was the only one of the two to ever return (at least, before the show finished in 2012).
Peyton was not on screen, but she was nonetheless referenced in the show after her leaving. In the seventh episode of the ninth season, Chad Michael Murray returned as Lucas Scott when Haley James Scott sought for the aid of her best friend. Haley requested Lucas to bring Jamie and Lydia, the two children of the couple, to his and Peyton's house while she looked for her husband because Nathan Scott had vanished. Peyton was so mentioned in the series following her departure even though she was not seen onscreen. Peyton's happy ending in One Tree Hill seems to match Burton's as well.
Until Murray and Burton left following the season 6 finale, just Lafferty, Lenz, and Bush were left as the original (young) main cast members in the final three seasons. The Big Five of One Tree Hill — Chad Michael Murray as Lucas Scott, James Lafferty as Nathan Scott, Hilarie Burton as Peyton Sawyer, Bethany Joy Lenz as Haley James Scott, and Sophia Bush as Brooke Davis — starred together in the teen drama series for six seasons. Over its nine seasons, the WB/CW television show's stars and actresses frequently came and went; losing Murray and Burton dealt a terrible blow to viewers.
Introduced in the premiere episode as the enigmatic and moody cheerleader dating the popular jock—despite their not being exactly suitable for one another—Burton's Peyton was Peyton showed notable character development across the series as she came to be more honest and trusting of the people who loved her. One Tree Hill centered Peyton and Lucas's story—along with the love triangle between Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke—so it only seemed sense that the two cast members would leave the show together, although Burton had other reasons for leaving.
Along with many other former One Tree Hill actresses and crew members, Hilarie Burton spoke out during the Me Too movement about the producer's inappropriate contacts with them during series filming. They claimed in 2017 that Mark Schwahn, the show's producer and creator, had sexually harassed them while on set, creating an uncomfortable workplace for several of the women hired by the production.
Burton has come forward to discuss her unique Schwahn experiences, but she has never mentioned them as the reason she left One Tree Hill. On set for her and the other women, Schwahn's actions most certainly caused issues.
Based in the made-up community of Tree Hill, North Carolina, One Tree Hill explores the complex and entwined lives of its citizens. Tree Hill's community is based on community spirit and the intricate dynamics of the always expanding Scott family. Following half-brothers and competitors Lucas and Nathan Scott as they strive both for positions on their school basketball team and for the adoration of their fellow pupils.
One Tree Hill is among those venerable early 2000s Tv Shows, a classic series tracking a group of kids maturing and negotiating challenging circumstances. On the other hand, some viewers felt the plotlines and characters lacked certain quality.