Bethany Joy Lenz Is in Awe Watching Paul Teal on One Tree Hill

Bethany Joy Lenz is remembering late costar Paul Teal’s legacy while rewatching an old episode of One Tree Hill.

“My energy’s down a little. Paul Teal, who played Josh, passed away recently, a couple of days ago, actually,” Lenz, 43, said on the Sunday, November 24, episode of the “Drama Queens” podcast. “I worked pretty closely with him on this show, but mostly on a play that I did with him when we did The Notebook in 2006. So it was hard to see him and just watch him.”

“He was so great. So I don’t know, maybe that’s coloring my perspective of the episode,” she continued. “I feel a little down. So I was probably projecting that on the rest of everything.”

In season 7’s episode 19, which aired in 2010, Josh’s sex tape with Alex (Jana Kramer) is emailed to Julian (Austin Nichols)’s father with a demand for $1,000,000 — and puts the film at risk.

Lenz gushed on Sunday that Teal was “so talented” before explaining that she “worked very closely” with him for her musical adaptation of The Notebook in 2006. Lenz noted that Teal’s role on One Tree Hill, where he appeared for seven episodes in 2010, contrasted to his real-life demeanor.

“When I tell you, he is nothing like that character, like Josh, it’s so funny to see because he is so shy. I never once saw him throw any kind of a temper tantrum,” she said. “I never saw him say an unkind word to anybody. He was shy and sweet and just wanted to make space for everybody.”

“But he felt so free on stage, like, you put him in a character and he just totally opened up. And it’s so fun to watch actors like that who are so comfortable in their skin and who they are as a human that they don’t feel the need to sort of act out,” she continued. “But there’s all these little pieces of our personality, like, when he gets into a role he just turned into somebody else. It was amazing.”

Lenz laughed while recalling Teal “storm” into the scene and “slam the door” because it was “so not” him. “It was great,” she said. “He was great.”

Before concluding the episode, Lenz noted that Teal will hold a special place in her heart moving forward. “Paul Teal is always going to get my honorable mention from now on every episode he’s in,” she said. “I love him and I miss him already.”

Teal died earlier this month after being diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. He was 35.

“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without trying,” Lenz wrote via Instagram at the time. “His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him.”

“He was shy and funny and so so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin. You couldn’t take your eyes off him,” she gushed of working with Teal. “Later, I was giddy to be directing an episode of One Tree Hill where I’d get to cast a new recurring character, Josh — the sleazy movie star. With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part. He was a joy to work with in any environment and so generous.”

Lenz, who included clips of her and Teal on stage together from The Notebook, noted that the pair kept “in touch on and off” but she wished she would have reached out to him “more.”

“Now at 35, he’s taken another train. He was too young to die. Far too young. I’m gutted,” she said. “Paul, your time here was like a summer romance for all of us who knew you, especially if only for a season. Bursting, exciting, deeply moving, and unforgettable.”