Why Chad Michael Murray Was On His 'Deathbed' Before 'One Tree Hill'

Chad Michael Murray almost died four years before he started acting.

During a recent podcast appearance, the beloved actor shared details of a terrifying health scare he faced as a teenager, revealing that his condition was so bad he thought he was going to die.

"I was 15 and my intestines were twisted, and I was hospitalized for two and a half months. It was a lot. We had surgery. I had internal bleeding. I lost 50 percent of my blood. I was on my deathbed."

Murray was in and out of consciousness for months and, in a final attempt to save his life, a nurse named Sandy gave him a blood transfusion that ultimately turned the tide.

"It saved my life. Regardless, you're in there for two months, and my organs shut down because you have blood all coagulated around them, and they had to wait till everything [healed more]. I had to have a second surgery to clean everything up."

The Cinderella Story standout explained that the near-death experience brought him closer to his faith and his family. He even made a friend at the hospital, a nurse named Alana, who changed his life forever.

"Alana says to me, 'Oh gosh, you should model. I was like, 'I don't want to model. I want to be an actor. Like, I love film and television. I want to give this gift to other people.' And she's like, 'Well, you can segue from modeling into acting. Look, when you get out, I'm hooking you up with this modeling company I know.' And she meant it."

The star went on to book major acting roles in movies and series, including Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, Freaky Friday, and One Tree Hill, to name a few.

For more, read Chad Michael Murray Almost Ended His Entire Career After 'One Tree Hill'.