Perhaps one of the reasons fans loved “One Tree Hill” was due to James Lafferty’s portrayal of Nathan Scott. The role was complex — he appeared as a cocky, average jock, but faced the pressures and high standards to which his former basketball star father held him. According to IMDb, Lafferty appeared on 187 episodes of the show, and it was through acting on this particular show that Lafferty tried his hand at directing for four episodes.
After “One Tree Hill” concluded, Lafferty landed roles in movies like “Small Town Crime” and “Waffle Street” in addition to a stint on television shows like WGN’s “Underground” and “The Royals” on E!
In an interview with Us Weekly in 2021, Lafferty talked about the blow to his ego that came after “One Tree Hill” ended: “I thought that when that show ended, things would be pretty easy for me, that it would be easy to work again in television,” he said. “Coming out of ‘One Tree Hill,’ I think it was a real reality check. It was a real wake-up call as to how incredibly competitive it is out there.”
