Paul Teal, who was best known for his recurring role as Josh Avery on One Tree Hill, died Friday at 35 after a battle with cancer.
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Teal’s partner, Emilia Torello, told TMZ that the actor had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer earlier this year.
Torello also announced his death on Instagram, writing, “Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future. You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies, and my heart with love. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”
Torello, who shared a black and white photo of her and Teal, concluded her message by with a promise “to fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every single day.”
“The world is lucky to even had a moment with Paul Teal, and I am the luckiest person in it, because I got to call you mine. I will love you forever,” she wrote.
The North Carolina native’s representatives at STW Talent Agency paid tribute to their client on social media, writing, “His exceptional talent and kind spirit touched the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. The void he leaves behind will be deeply felt.”
Teal’s co-star on the young-adult drama, Bethany Joy Lenz, also honoured the actor, who she knew before they worked together on One Tree Hill.
“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without trying,” Lenz, 43, wrote on Instagram. “His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him.”
Joy Lenz said when they acted opposite one another in a 2006 stage production of The Notebook, audiences were captivated by his performance.
“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. “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 humour 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.”
One Tree Hill ran for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012 and followed the relationship between two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty).
Teal played a closeted actor during a story arc that ran during the CW series’ seventh season.
In addition to One Tree Hill, Teal also appeared in the Ben Affleck-Ana de Armas thriller Deep Water in 2022 as well as episodes of TV shows, including Dynasty, The Walking Dead, Outer Banks, The Staircase and George & Tammy.