Why Chad Michael Murray almost gave up on his dream career

Chad Michael Murray reflected on a time he considered leaving Hollywood for good.

The 43-year-old actor shared that he almost considered quitting acting after One Tree Hill to reassess his priorities.

In an interview with Interview Magazine, the Gilmore Girls actor confessed that he wanted to leave acting as a career because he felt he couldn’t continue with it any longer. 

"There was a moment where I was quitting. I just couldn’t do it anymore," he said.

The heartthrob went on to reveal the reason he felt he couldn't pursue acting as a career, while dismissing any future speculation that his fans were the cause.

He clarified, "It wasn’t because of the fandom, but when you’re 18 to 25, these formidable years, where you’re really cutting your teeth on life experiences and your brain isn’t fully developed, you make mistakes."

"I think it’s difficult to see past those moments when you’re not adult enough to understand the scenarios that you’re in," he added.

However, his fandom was indeed intense. Chad recalled a story about a fan who had asked him to sign her chest and later returned with it tattooed on her.

The A Cinderella Story actor starred in many major roles after completing six seasons on the show and quickly rose to fame but admitted that he never got comfortable with the limelight.

"That was hard for me because there are so many eyeballs on you. And you go to the grocery store and someone points at you, 'Oh, that’s the guy that’s on the tabloid, or that’s the guy that did this,'" he told the magazine.