Paul Teal Dead at 35: What to Know About the One Tree Hill Actor

Courtesy of Paul Teal/Instagram

Paul Teal made an impact on the One Tree Hill community before his death.

News broke on Sunday, November 17, that Teal died at age 35. “The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Teal’s partner, Emilia Torello, announced via Instagram at the time. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future.”

Torello did not share details about Teal’s cause of death, but revealed he was struggling with a health issue.“You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies, and my heart with love,” she continued. “You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”

Alongside the message, Torello posted a sweet black-and-white photo of her and Teal where he smiled at the camera. Torello gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“While a part of me died with you, I promise to fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every single day,” she wrote. “The world is lucky to have 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.”

Scroll down for what to know about Teal:

Teal Appeared in ‘One Tree Hill’

Teal was best known for his role as Josh in the drama series, where he appeared for seven episodes in 2010.

Following his death on Sunday, costar Bethany Joy Lenz paid tribute to him. “My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without trying,” Lenz wrote at the time. “His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him.”

Alongside the message, Lenz included a slideshow of her and Teal on stage for a 2006 musical adaptation of The Notebook.

“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 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.”

Teal Had a Partner

Courtesy of Emilia Torello/Instagram

Teal was in a committed relationship with Torello at the time of his death. Three months prior, the pair celebrated his birthday with a hiking trip. Torello shared a series of sweet pics via Instagram of her and Teal from the vacation.

Teal Made an Appearance in ‘Outer Banks’

Teal was cast in two episodes of Outer Banks in 2021. When the season came out, Teal shared a collage of moments from the show. “Outer Banks Season 2 Now streaming on Netflix!” he wrote via Instagram at the time.

Teal Will Appear in ‘The Hunting Wives’

Teal is set to play Pastor Pete in the Starz series, which is expected to premiere in 2025, for six episodes, per IMdB. The cast includes Dermot Mulroney, Brittany Snow and Chrissy Metz and is based off the best selling novel of the same name by Mary Cobb.

Teal Dabbled on Stage

Teal also made an appearance on stage, encouraging his followers in 2022 to watch him in the Broadway musical Newsies. “Newsies Hit the streets! We gotta open a show tonight!” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “So excited and grateful to be a part of this show.”