One Tree Hill Podcast: Revelations From Episode 1 “Someday Is Today”

Published on June 22, 2021.

There is no denying that the teen drama One Tree Hill has one of the most passionate fanbases of all time, and while there have been many conventions over the years since the show has come to an end, fans of OTH have just been given a huge gift. Former stars Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz (who portrayed Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, and Haley James respectively) have reunited for a One Tree Hill based podcast called Drama Queens. In fact, fans were so excited for the podcast the two and a half minute trailer alone became the number one listened to podcast across America. While the OTH ladies will be rewatching every episode of the show and chatting about it, the first episode of the podcast “Someday Is Today” had the three catching up and reminiscing on how it all began for them on the hit series. Here are all the revelations the actresses revealed in episode one of Drama Queens:

Veronica Mars Rivalry

The ladies spend some time discussing the WB (the network One Tree Hill started on) and all of the teen hits it produced and revealed that there was a bit of a rivalry between OTH and Veronica Mars, which was airing on UPN. Veronica Mars was OTH’s biggest competitor at the time and Hilarie Burton revealed “In the credits they had like an icon of a tree burning and we took it so personally. Then we all merged and we were on the same network and we were like ‘Oh, hey guys.’ It felt like West Side Story.”

Before One Tree Hill

The three actresses opened up about the year of their life before landing One Tree Hill and their lives changed forever. Bethany Joy Lenz revealed she moved to LA from New York after spending some time on a soap opera after she spent all of her money from the show and realized she needed more work to make more money. Sophia Bush revealed she was a junior in college and had auditioned for the female lead in Van Wilder opposite Ryan Reynolds, but didn’t get the part because she was told “she looked 12.” She did get another part though and Ryan Reynolds had to mentor her on everything because it was her first major film. “Ryan Reynolds was the sweetest person.. he gave me like a four minute lesson.” She then revealed she was working at Bloomingdales in the summer but hated it because she was the only actually doing the work and soon after One Tree Hill became an opportunity. She had previously received the script for Ravens but didn’t get a part but at the same time they decided to recast the Haley part a producer called Bush and told her, “We need a character to be like, ridiculous and sassy. We need comic relief. And I was like, ‘That seems fun.'” Burton revealed she had been in LA for about six months before Ravens and went to an audition for the movie Radio starring Cuba Gooding Jr. but she was kind of “bitchy” in her audition. “So when I got cast I barely auditioned for One Tree Hill because I think they used all of the old footage from that audition. They were like ‘We need a bitch, and there’s this Burton girl that’s awful and she’s got so many opinions.’ So I just made a tape in New York.”

Recasting Haley

Bethany Joye Lenz revealed that after several guest spots on various shows she was sent the pilot for Ravens (which was the original title of One Tree Hill) but passed on it because she didn’t want to do a teen drama. Then six or seven months later her manager sent her the pilot and told her they were recasting a part (Lucas originally had a more tomboy like best friend called Reagan) and wanted Lenz to go for it. Lenz said after she watched it “I loved the pilot. I really did. I thought I would love to be a part of this show. I love they way they’re weaving in music and the tone of the characters feels so raw and connected, and this feels like something I could really sink my teeth into. So I went in and did my audition.”

Source: CW

Hilarie and Chad Michael Murray

Before they were starring as one of the central love stories of One Tree Hill, Hilarie Burton revealed she and Chad Michael Murray already had professional history. They both appeared on the 100th episode of Dawson’s Creek (which Murray had a recurring role on). “It was the episode where all those kids go to the MTV spring break and I played myself (Burton used to work as a VJ on MTV). And it should have been an omen.” Burton revealed she had an issue with a line that was something to do with sleeping with Chad Michael Murray’s character and joked, “It should have been an omen for the continuation of my career down in Wilmington.” She then also revealed that she had a bit of a grudge against Murray because he acted like they had never met on the first day of doing the pilot for One Tree Hill even though they had worked together before. “Chad got into the van our very first day, we were going to the read through for the pilot, and he introduced himself like we hadn’t met. And I remember being like, “This is war.”

©THE CW / courtesy everett collection

Being The Characters

Burton also talked about how they were able to bring parts of their real selves into their characters, and that was very true for Burton. She revealed she was a cheerleader in high school but was a “very grumpy cheerleader.” She explained, “I remember having pictures of Charles Manson and quotes of his on my megaphone. Just to be a d–k. So when they created this character it was like, ‘Woah, that hits close to home.” Bethany Joy Lenz revealed she felt very comfortable right away filming with Chad Michael Murray and Moira Kelly but as a person she preferred to be introverted and alone, “So I think I resonated with the sense that Haley felt kind of introverted and awkward and didn’t really know how to connect to people.” For Sophia Bush she revealed that Brooke’s first name was actually originally Tara and it “didn’t feel right,” and actually related her character to her college best friend who was a girl named Brooke who was chic and bold.

Fred Norris/ © The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection

Looking Back

All three of the OTH ladies agreed it is going to be difficult to rewatch the series because it was basically a time of such huge change for all of them. Burton pointed out she has to watch herself “learn how to act,” while Bush said for all of them it was like “being pushed off a cliff while learning how to put your parachute backpack on.” Meanwhile Lenz said it will remind her of where she was in her personal life at the time and all the things she was dealing with then and how she projected them through Haley. Burton also said she was often drunk and/or hungover when filming which fans will be interested to know looking back at the series.

Photo by Nicolas Khayat/ABACA.

Before They Were Friends

While they have an amazing and long-lasting friendship now, Burton, Bush and Lenz opened up about how those in charge of the show used to “pit them against each other.” They didn’t elaborate but did allude to all the things people tried to put them through, but it didn’t break them and are looking forward to watching the show together because back then they didn’t know what each other were going through. “We weren’t taught the value of being vulnerable with each other,” Lenz explained. Bush said, “We are getting the better version, of any version of a friendship we had onscreen or otherwise. We’re getting it now in our adulthood.” Bush also said “Back then, everyone around us wanted us to compete with each other,” to which Burton revealed, “They literally said to me Joy [Bethany Joy Lenz] is the talented on, Sophia is the gorgeous one and you’re the angry one,” to which Bush added, “they said horrible things to us.” Lenz added that one of the reasons they wanted to do the podcast was to “offer a vision of what sisterhood could look that” after going through all of what they did together and said it will help them “heal,” from all the negativity they experienced on the show.

Guest Stars

Looking ahead to all the episodes that are to come, the actresses revealed that fans can expect to hear a lot of former One Tree Hill stars. The names mentioned included Lee (Mouth), James (Nathan), Paul (Dan), Antwon (Skills), Moira (Karen), Barbara (Deb).