Proms & Villains • EP416 (part one) with Matt Barr

our crowns on. We're really leaning. In episode four sixteen, you call it madness, but I call it love. The original airdate May second, twenty seven, It will be an unforgettable prom at tree Hill High when Lucas discovers who was in the hallway when Keith was killed. Meanwhile, Peyton's decision to skip the prom leads to dire consequences. Nathan and Haley vow to be romantic teenagers, while Dan tries to win Karen's affections and the witness to his murder

closes in. This episode was directed by our favorite Tom Wright, and we have another one of our favorites here for part two. Matt Barr aka Psycho Derek, who, if you were with us on tour, you learned is the sweetest man off screen, sweet compliment, a terror. On screen, we call him sweet Matt. Hi, honey, Hi guys, thanks for having me back. I love you, We love having you here. Right.

You are the nightmare fuel for every teenage girl in America that watched this ship Matt, Like, remember, yeah, I think I was like in China once and someone said that to me and I thought, wow, that that really made it a cross fie. Wow, because you're such You're a handsome dude, and you're sweet, and there is nothing about you that screams red flag. So then when when this all unfolds and you are horrendous in this basis, Yeah, you're you're so unhinged. I just rewatched it. It's actually

creepier than I even remember it. You know. It's like it's so dark, like I don't remember any kind of trauma in my childhood, but man, it's you in this episode are the reason that, like, when I'm home alone at night, I don't want to look out the windows, like I'm so scared that a face like Psychoderic's face is going to be on the other side of the glass, and every we were sitting here watching the episode, and we were just every other second we were like, oh god, oh, no, no, oh,

just feeling at the screen. How how does a person who is as kind as you are? I mean, listen, you're an actor. Our job is to embody people, good, bad, ugly, everything in between. Right, How how did you figure out how to make this person a person that you could inhabit? And was it uncomfortable to do on set? Like what's your world? Because it was really hard for us to watch.

I think, you know, I mean you guys knows his actors, Like, I think sometimes the further the departure, sometimes the easier it is to kind of take that leap. You know, playing yourself is kind of scary and you know it's just to be organic on camera. So I think sometimes those kind of radical choices are easier just to like I said, just to like, you know, base jump off

the cliff and so if you go for it. But I M so many actors overdo it like there's there's you know what I mean, Like you you managed to make it so realistic and believable, which is what makes it so scary. Well, also, it feels like a real psychotic break Matt like it. It doesn't feel like mustache twirling. It feels like this is a boy who suffered some pretty horrific abuse and is now inflicting it on someone else. And you made it real in a way that I

think elevates the fear factor. Were there were there movies, because you know, I remember them telling us, They're like, this is your shot, kids, You're doing a horror film this week. Were there movies that you watched? He You're like, this is a bad guy that I can you know, use as a model for what I'm going to turn

Ian into. Right, Yeah, there were And I'm trying to remember what it was during that time, but I remember thinking all that great villains sort of there they whatever they're doing, they think there's a nobility to it, you know. And so you know, and like I said, rather it's

paint where wherever that motivation comes from. Maybe it's trauma or pain, you know, Like I thought, if we grounded Derek and it's like he really needed this, and you know, he was this this obsession for Peyton was grounded in some kind of for him real thing and so the audience, like you said, it becomes real. It's not the mustache twirling villain. It's it's like a really um, it's a

very sick young man. And I not that we sympathize with him, but I think then, but the more you grounded that, that's almost an interesting part for a minute. If you're thinking, like, man, I always feel bad for how how you have to how can you how can you play your character the most effectively? And that's to care the most about your character. You have to you have to defend your character to the death, like care

the most about them more than anybody else. And even if your character is an intense psychopath, um, you have to know why. You have to believe that, really deep down, there's a reason and they're just they deserve it and there's something good and you know, because that's real. That's what happens to humans, you know, not characters. That's what happens. Does I really like the I like the fact that you're willing you know, you're right. It's an intense example.

But when you really compare someone like a Derek to some of the worst historical villains, and then you as an actor, say, even if this character I've been asked to play, is this evil? How do I, solely as the person who has to inhabit him, how do I humanize him? How do I give him a motivation? And that's what I think is really jarring about watching it. You know, to everyone else's point, it doesn't feel like mutch mustache twirling. It doesn't feel like a caricature. You

managed to ground something real in him. And it's interesting that you use the word need, like he needs this. You gave it a reality, which I think is why it feels so scary. It's almost easier to dismiss a boogeyman. It's a lot harder to dismiss, you know. You think about all these crazy stories we watch on dateline, Like it's harder to dismiss the hockey coach who you find out has been like murdering kids. You're like, oh, but

that's a real thing. Like the scary person who you who feels larger than life, it's easier for your mind to go, well, that's not really going to happen. And you brought something into this character that made it feel so real that I think it's why it's haunted all of us for so long. So as an actor, well done. Yes, Do you have interactions with people that you feel that like, are are that sort of like the real life villain?

And are there do you know what I mean? Like, what are the what are the things that you draw out that you're like, oh, yeah, this is a real No. I mean, I've had to talk to killers on the phone and people you know have done horrible things and you just have to talk to them on the phone because that's your job, and sometimes you talk to them in real life. It's it really freaks me out. Have you discovered anything in terms of like this, they're so normality,

They're so normal. Yeah, that's what I mean, right, Like it seems totally normal, like the hockey coach that like

you're saying, so they're so normal. And the thing that I think that was really effective about your performance, Matt that I probably didn't notice in the moment, but I'm noticing now as a viewer with hindsight, um the way Derek enters Peyton and his concern for her, the speech that he gives to Peyton in the basement, where he's like, you were going to sleep with Lucas tonight, honey, and I just could not let you make that mistake, like he has been working with you and I can't let

you do that. In his brain, this is all an act of love. I am going to save you from making a decision that's going to hurt you. And that was the part for me as a viewer where I was like, like, yeah, is it about him? Think he I think he was watching you and Brooke fight in the yard too, right, Yeah, you know your your best friend betrayed you, which was which was valid? You know? Yeah, And that's it, right, That's where you see the break is a person who would say, I can't believe this

person did that to you. We we hate her, you know. You even see it with Rachel. I love Shelley. I've always hated Shelley. She turns with mouth, you know, when when he tells her in the last episode that are not going to problem together. It is a very normal turn that in the mind of someone who's having an episode of mental illness or who's had a psychotic break goes from you don't like Brooke, I don't like Brooke

to Brooke broke your heart. Let's gutter like a fish and you're like, oh, dear, like we've we're no longer on a plane of reality, and it's it's it's inspiring to Hillary's point watching it now in hindsight, because you were able to toggle between normal human emotion and psychotic response in a way that, as you said, yes he's

the villain. Yes, we're all terrified of him, and weirdly, now maybe it's just because we all, you know, produced direct Like I look at you as an actor and I'm like, you made me sympathize with him kind of though I want him to go to jail forever. But this poor baby, what happened to him, What happened to him to make him this way? Yeah, it's gnarly. And so I want to hear from you because we're gonna gush about you for you know, another thirty. I love

doing this podcast. This is great. Yeah, yeah, anytime you need tell you. I mean, we thought they had killed you. And so for all of you at home, the fact that they brought Derek back, or Ian or whatever your character's name is, right, the fact that they brought you back is a testament to how lovely you were, because nobody else would have been brought back, but they bent over backwards. To figure out a way to keep you for longer. Right? Did you know about that during your

first chunk of time on the show. I didn't. I don't think that was planned. I don't know if I don't think Mark right, I'm not sure the writers as far as I know, maybe, y'all you definitely need more

than I did, probably, but I don't remember that. I remember that kind of being a one off thing those first four episodes, and then forget when that call came, but I remember Harry and they were going to kind of pull Brooke and Peyton apart, and that this sort of served a purpose the you know, um, you know, you're not you guys again in a very exciting way. But I'm glad I thought, um, like you said it, Like you said there, there's a way they ground it.

If you when you first heard this pitch for the season, it would sound kind of ridiculous, I think, you know, because tree Hill is a very real place. And yeah, some things are sensationalized because it's a television show, but it's a very grounded show. And then it's it probably sounded it still does sound ridiculous, but I think we made it. We made it a real kind of um, you know, a real a real drama and a you know,

in a real talent. You made it a real experience. Yeah, you know, it's not just a story that people were watching. We all felt the experience of terror as a unit. Had you done like a horror film before? How had you practiced this? That's when you haven't. Yeah, I don't, I don't. I wonder where the dark. Like I said, I think there's a way where you just like, you know,

it's it's easier to take a leap. It's sort of just a far departure from yourself because I like, you know, you guys know me, I really am, you know, I'm I mean I remember when my little brother was born as a kid, I hated him so ready to share bunk beds. So I think I was channeling that like a bunk beds, like like Anthony Hopkins playing lecters like it was all about the little brother and the bunk bed thing. But yeah, it is. It is funny, isn't it.

It's like once you find a way in, it's almost like everyone always talks about a bottleneck, like in traffic, how everything squeezes and then it's a mess. But finding a way into a Character's kind of like the reverse. It's like you have to go in the skinny end of the funnel, and once you find the opening, it just opens on the other end. Yes, and that's so interesting,

thank you. It's that's Teresaphia. Yeah. But to hear you say the thing about oh yeah, I remember Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Lector, he had the thing with the brother and you go done, and and that's the opening. You're right, and then you get to make up everything on the other side of it, once you find a little nugget of reality. It's it's also not lost on me if I may, because I'm sure people at home are like, we know you love Matt, but this is weird that

you guys are gushing about Derek like it. I think it has helped us process the intensity of this episode, and you know, the violence and the episode is essentially every nightmare anyone who ever grew up watching like you know, Law and Order, SPU or Dateline or any of these

things has ever had. Oh yeah, you know, it's it's such a fear and I and I think we I think we cling to the positive that we gleaned from it, which is our friendship with you, because if we really look at what was happening to this teenage girl and then you know, by association her friend, it's so dark and it's so scary, and it's it's hard to know

what to say about that. So I guess that's a really roundabout way of saying thank you for being you and not some actual creep who came to play this part, because if you had been a creepy dude, we would have been broken forever, forever, right, Well, like we're all the same boat. Like I'm not an advocate for violence, and I don't even I don't even love watching a lot of movies and things that are like hardcore. That way, it kind of like FEI hurts my soul a bit,

you know, even even though it's fiction. Right, But I if you were to frame our our storyline in this show about kind of the resilience that you guys had, I mean I always thought there was sort of a positive message around you know, how your characters grew and change, because that's what that's what stories are about. Um, you know, with this kind of villain role that I played, Um,

I don't know. I've had a surprising I've had a surprising number of young women come up and let me know that they had been sexually assaulted and that the aftermath of this storyline and the girls coming together to process it was incredibly helpful for them. And that was really kind of confusing for me because we didn't have social media when this episode came out, there was no

instant feedback, so to hear that feedback years later. It's not that I ever felt shame about this storyline, but it's because it is sexual assault and it's treated in a way that's very like horror movie of the week. Kind of I felt nervous about it. But the feedback I've gotten is that it was helpful. And I think being able to articulate feelings for the fan base and give them words and give them a reference and like something to point to is an important part of our job.

And so you helped, you by being such a bad guy, help some women process what the aftermath can be. You know how you can keep going. You know what you just made me realize to Hill is that so much of the trauma that Peyton experiences has been witnessed before, and because like she's gone through so much alone, has

and has hidden. And it's actually really interesting that this whole Derek storyline, you know, with you coming in Matt and then Earnest being real Derek and being a witness for Peyton, and then on prom night, you know, Brook winding up in the basement and then then being able

to talk about it. It almost strikes me that it's the Derek storyline that illuminates for viewers that you can only process trauma by opening it up, by getting help, by speaking to someone, whether it's a professional or a friend.

You know, obviously we talk a lot on this podcast about how we're proponents of mental healthcare and therapy, but I had never thought about it that way until you said that that that we get to really have an experience with Peyton where she is processing a trauma instead of doing what so many shows do, okay of the week, like it's all over, we wrap it up with a blow, and then we never talk about it again. And that's

really profound. We made it too. I always thought that was that was part of the profound message of it. And you know that low quote like the strength of the wolf is the pack. The strength of the pack is the wolf, And how you said we don't we knew this if it's like we need each other and we're better together, especially your your best friend, like you know your your characters, and I always liked framing it

that way. Hey everyone, it's Bethany Frankel. We are reliving the best moments from all the seasons of the Real Housewives on my new podcast, Rewives. From the table flips of New Jersey to the craziest hills of Beverly. No city will be spared, and I'm joined by my most fabulous celebrity friends that you will never expect to help me break down the drama. Kristin Channawi, Tori Spelling, Jerry Springer,

Snooky even Emmy winner Elizabeth Moss. The list goes on and on, So let's whoop it up and mention it all because you can binge episodes of rewives right now with so much more to come. Listen to Rewives on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Man, have you had a chance to play a lot of villains since then? I feel like I feel like from the first ten years of my life I played villains.

Kind of feel like you did? At right? Yeah? Did you, like, what did you learn about because of the empathy you have to have for your character? And like, how I guess what have you learned about people? And how has that affected your daily interactions with I don't know, just people who feel like villains to you in your life. You know, I've always thought like, I'm not a very judgmental person, and because I think we're all like you said,

we're all human. We all come in this world. We're all kind of beautiful, right, perfect creatures that in some way are conditioned or we're I'm granted, we do have the own responsibility. I'm not saying we don't, but I do think that everyone's human and we all bleed, and so I think, you know, it forced you to want to see the humanity and people and maybe just compassion is the good word, right understanding. Um, again, there's consequences

and people have to own it. But I remember, yeah, I remember having a friend when I was young once got killed the car wreck by a driver who was drinking. And it was like that that young man made a bad mistake, but you know he wasn't a horrible human. This is but psychoederic, But I think, like you know, he was probably a beautiful human a lot of ways that made a very very bad decision. I just thought, you know, people can't be judged by this one. I

don't know, kind of singular framework. I don't know if I went, but yeah, yeah, it's that. The idea that I always come back to is you're so much more than the worst thing you've ever done, right, Yeah, And I think within that framework, it's really interesting to you know, as as Deb encourages Haley too in this episode, it's really interesting to find grace for people and the mistakes they've made along the way, and the versions of themselves they've they've you know, tried on and and then moved

on from as they evolve. That's natural life, right, It's humanity. We grow. Nobody's perfect, and if you are, you've never gone outside. Like, I don't know what to say, right, but you know, I also think it's really interesting to figure out how to extend that kind of grace to people and yourself and figure out how to create boundaries as an individual and as a society to say, like, yeah, but if if you cross so far outside the boundary,

consequences have to change. Speaking of like real life implications, of this stuff. Right, I'm friends with the guy that lives in Peyton Sawyer's house, okay, and he had a baby when we were filming the show. And that baby is now like a senior in high school. She might be going to college, but she's been in high school for the last few years. And they had no idea what we filmed in this episode because that basement set was built on stage. We didn't shoot that in the house.

It does it doesn't even like have a basement. I don't think it has a basement at all. Doesn't it have an attic. It's not like houses in Wilmington have like crawl spaces, a lot of historic rings too much there, you can't have basements. Yeah, they knew that, Like we did some stuff on the stairway because I think there were some dings in the woodwork because they leave, they go stay in a hotel when we filmed this stuff. So when this episode came out and they saw what

happened in their quote unquote home, were like horrified. They're just like what is this? And so as their daughter grows up and knows that she lives in the Peyton's her house and starts watching the show, is like, what the hell are you talking about. Fans used to creep around the house to go and see in the basement window, which I think, right, what do you remember about that basement set? Because it was they built that like overnight. It was insane and so beautiful job it really did,

you know what. I had a moment watching you guys in that first scene before I come in and you have all the lights set up, and I was like, Okay, I know this is creepy, but those lights are gorgeous. One moment where I was like, Wow, the lighting department really made something. If this wasn't so gross, it would be romantic. Yeah. I remember trying to make sure I had all my lines down. I think we shot We shot a lot of that in like a day or two, right,

So it was just like NonStop. It was doing play. You had so much to say it was and you was rats man, it was like a play. Wasn't that fun? I just remember I remember that too, Like as as dark as those scenes were, like you just have to kind of like said play as an actor. And I

had so much fun with it. And yeah, I get self conscious about it because to your point, you and I had fun when soap came down to the party, we had fun, Like the three of us were having a really good time doing something so heightened and weird that it as we're talking about it as grown ups, it makes me nervous that we're dismissing the subject matter. But it really is the only way you get through it, though,

isn't it likely long hours and really intense emotions. You kind of have to mess with yourself in that way and you have to find a way out. Like I've never been on a set where dirtier jokes are told than SPU because you need a break, like everybody is. Everybody there has like slapstick comedy down like nowhere I've ever been. It's so fun to work there, and it has to be because the subject matter is so dark that if you only focus on subject matter, you'll die.

And I think that this episode was a lot like that for us, Like Hill, when you talk about how fun it was, I remember part of what was so much fun with you guys, you know, coming down to the basement, was that this entire episode essentially was stunt choreography.

So even though the subject matter was horrible, the three of us were dancing all day, Like we were doing choreography, we were doing daves and things and and so, and like when we would get something right, like like Hillary when you had to like slap me and then punch me. Like when we landed that punch, we all were like, oh yeah, everybody was like screaming, like it looked so good. And so it gave us it did. It gave us

some levity. And I think all the physicality was what kind of protected our brains from the mental and emotional side of the subject matter getting too intense to embody. Because that's a gnarly place to be for three days. Is at seventeen hours a day, you know, that's too much for a little human. I would have asked you this back then if I had been a smarter actor

years ago. But like, because you guys are doing that show every day of the week for for years, and so when you're that seems kind of a departure in tone, you could say, from a lot of stuff. So do you approach it? Do you approach it differently? Or does it feel like just another Tuesday where you're you're an actor going no, no, it felt totally different. And we had worked with Tom Wright this director on other episodes

that weren't this, you know, so this felt totally totally different. Um, and I was excited because Peyton got to do that like psycho turn with Derek. But I'm telling you, Matt, we were watching those scenes back and I'm like, Matt, Matt made out like I have zero Yeah, yeah, I bit him him and I'm amazing with him. That's right. It was Listen. I'm sorry. I think I probably thought it was a like a like this a psycho choice, this is a crazy I loved that Peyton took that

term in the episode. It was so satisfying. Yeah. And then and I think right after that when you bet, it's like Derek looked so betrayed by you, you know about grounding it. He was just like, how could you do this to me? You know? I trusted that speech? Oh, Peton,

like you're so disappointed. There was a moment there where you saw like the psycho Peyton and the psycho Derek, and it felt very like Natural Born Killers, and it was like, well, it'd be a spin off, like is this the thing that breaks Peyton Sawyer finally and she just becomes his you know. Briana Frankenstein Um, that could have been a fun little twist, that's right for a month. Yeah, for a little bit of that arc there was they

were like well matched fighters in the ring, you know. Yeah, both both there when when they were on the offensive and their own wise you know, because for whatever set off your character, Peyton certainly had a whole basket of crap that could have set her off as well. It

is feasible that they both could go dark. Um, because that stuff was fun, Like I remember who were getting to do that and and thinking like like Peyton's never gonna get an opportunity to do that again, Like let's let's enjoy this sandwich because it's the only thing to do it. Yeah, yeah, you do you kind of yeah, you're right. I'm never thinking like I might never work again after this because everyone's but um, it is like I said, it does sound kind of morbid, but like

it just was. So it's it's like playful. You're it's opportuned, right, and like from action to cut you kind of lease yourself in it because like someone said, like a horror movie there, it's ridiculous us because it's like a tennis ball or a fake monster. But you have so for those for those you know that two minute take, you are one hundred percent this is real, you know, so yeah, yeah,

and we had to make some dorky things real. Okay, so good, right when Peyton guns and hides in her bedroom and puts on the boxing gloves and then proceed like baby punch Derek until he headbutzer, we're sitting here cringing because we're like, who gets up out of being tied in their basement and puts on boxing gloves? I loved it funny then to have you like but then the chair campline is just oh yeah, so funny coming down coming down the stairs at the bottom of that pyramid,

like they're so in it. We had to take it so so seriously. But I buy it though, I totally buy it in a total moment of panic, and you just you say the first thing that comes to your mind, that's improv that's like and we do that in life, you know, when you're pushed to your furthest limit. Sometimes it's just like, there's the boxing gloves. I know how to use those. I'm about to use them and put my gloves on all nine one, don't be crazy? Yeah, who's going for the phone. You know, you know what

lines alway stuck on me. I've always wanted to, like hi, incept it in other roles throughout my whole career, which is they always lunge because I and then my face and it's like, ah, I just it's kind of perfect, you know, they always Well, it was the one moment of acknowledged camp in the scene, you know, like Scary movie did that so well, where on affairs would be like, oh no, I guess I'll go up the stairs, not out the front door. You know, like they would acknowledge

how ridiculous horror movies were. And I liked that we in a grounded way acknowledged like he's gonna wake up. They always wake up. But it was it. We had earned it at that moment, you know, Yeah, hey everyone, it's Dean Unglert and Kaylan Miller Keys and Jared Hey, butN I'm here. I'm here too, guys, hosts of the new podcast. Help we suck at being newlyweds because I guess we just don't suck at dating anymore. No, I mean you're newlyweds. I am not a newlywed anymore. Yeah,

I'm curious if I sucked at being a newlywed. I don't think so. I mean I made it to the altar, and I am so happy to be joining you guys. I can't wait to talk about relationships, marriage, and just everything in between. It's about time we have someone smart to join this podcast. It's too long between us. This young lady's a broadcast journalism major. She knows what she's doing. I'm so excited to be hosting a podcast with my soon to be wife and of course my best friend Jared.

How's it going to make you feel working together? Now? You guys live together, we're together, gonna get married. Yeah, it'll be interesting. You thinking to get tired of each other? Absolutely? Yes. Be sure to listen to help. We kept being Newlyweds on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey Dudes, I'm David Lasher and I'm Christine Taylor, and we host the podcast Hey Dude the Nineties called

if you All Are Nostalgic for the nineties. We just wanted to make sure you didn't miss amazing guests like the Brady Bunch Cast reunion, the White Squall Cast reunion with Jeff Bridges, We've got Ben Stiller. We've got the lead singer of Counting Crows, Adam Durrett's Jerry O'Connell. We also had a Hey Dude cast reunion, so come join us on Hey Dude the Nineties called. We have so many more great guests coming up, so please come back

and join us. Listen to Hey Dude, the Nineties called on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. I also just love hearing you say you thought you might never work again because people would hate you so much because all you do is work. And you're like looking into us from one of your Cowboys shows. Where are you? What are you working on? Tell the people where they can find Sweet Matt because Psychoederic is gone.

It's funny. I am in my uncle's like Western room, so you think I'm on my set, but yeah, I've been in Santa Fe doing a show Walker Independence, which I love him. It's um it's a prequel to the Walker Texas Rangers story, and h takes place in you know, the late eighteen hundreds and this kind of small emerging town called Independence, Texas, and these these kind of colorful, eclectic characters and diverse characters, which is pretty cool that

that live there and I play an outlaw there. He is eight year old me is very uh, very happy to go to work every day. I love it. You were you were so good in Hatfield McCoy's and I remember watching it with my husband and being like I know him, and my husband be like, you don't know him, and I'm like no, seriously, like we know him, and we had like a very intimate storyline together and we're friends,

and he was like, Okay, good stories. I love for him to watch this at some point because, yeah, what you proved yourself as a cowboy in that, and now, I mean, you're just living every boy's dream right now and just on a horse being I feel like, yeah, I remember I remember doing a seating in Hatfields and I'm I'm like riding through a little ravine with Kevin Costner and a bunch of guys and that like director

says cut and he runs over. He's like, Matt, you're just grinning, like you're you know, like your brother was murder. What are you doing? And I was like, I'm sorry, I'm just so happy right now. I'm having the best time. I'll stop. Stop. You're like, it's not a conscious choice, I promise, sorry, Kevin, Yeah, yeah, no, I do. I mean I guess you know, I was you know, every text and it's to be a cowboy. So it's it's pretty funny to live here. I mean, you guys, you

pursued your dreams and do you love? And you got to use that little slice of Texas in this episode because when Derrek reveals that he's the one that called Peyton pending, I forgot that. I did. I forgot that. That's right, That's how I was creepy. Bro. Yeah. Yeah, for like six episodes, we've been like, uh, well that's been jared up. Yeah. You want a funny little tidbit,

here's something for all the viewers. Like remember when at the end of episode whenever, whenever I I I appear at the door to take you to prom and I just punched, right, I remember, like I hit the mat box And for those people who don't know, it's like this little metal they goes around the camera. It's like a little thin metal thing and I so I hit my head. It was no big deal, but it kind of bled. But like to this day, I had this scar right here, and I hadn't thought about that, and

I was watching that scene. I was like, that's when I got that scar right here, when I funny Apple Hillary and I ran into the camera and cut my face. Oh god, yeah, I'm like trying to stop bleeding and stuff. And I was like, that's right. You were so sweet because you're like a guest star, so you're like, no, I don't want to hold camera and Mat It's okay. Your face is bleeding, babe, is it. I'm gonna use it.

Let's use it make an art. I love the duality of you know, that last episode for fifteen begins with Peyton punching Brook. That's like the beginning party. The episode right ends with Psychoderic punching Peyton, and those bookends were really effective. It was right. Yeah, it's violence, man, it's a lot of violence. You know again, I just thought, y'all, y'all's kind of fight like confrontation scenes in the front yard where those were really well done. Those are just

really really wonderful scenes. I hadn't watched those in years. Oh my god. Well, so, yeah, when's the last time you revisited any of this? Well, I I think I mentioned I saw you guys, I'm engaged, and so I was showing. I don't think I was showing. She was looking up scenes. She's like, you know, what have you been in? And I was like, well, some people are remember me from this show, and so she was like what.

So it's fun watching her watch Psychoderic kind of like here, but that's such a weird feeling when you see your partner in a role Like I was pregnant with our son before I watched my husband in The Watchman and he's a bad man. Yeah, he's like a rapist and hits women and does terrible things. And I'm sitting there pregnant with our child, like who is this person? You see a face that you love and then you're just like, oh god, this is atrocious. Um. Was she a little

reserved with you? Was she reserved with you after watching you a Psychoderic? Was she a little quiet at dinner that night? She was a little bit quiet? Yeah? Yeah, I think I ate on on her side of the bed for a couple of nights. Yeah, but but yeah, no, it's because, yeah, you know, as your families have grown and you guys have gotten married, a thing what do

your communities feel about one tree? That's kind of a broad question, but like this is such a big part of culture and it traveled the world, and so what's it been like weird? Well, Hilary and I laugh because our husbands have never seen the show never And Tyler Hilton sent one of his like merch hats to us and it's this embroidered hat that says, I've never seen

one tree hill. And one day Grant Grant grabbed a hat to like go out for a run and he comes home from Griffith Park and he was like training for a race. He's done like ten miles and he walks in the door and he goes, I ran around the whole park wearing this hat, and he was like so embarrassed, and I was like, but you have never seen it, so it would be fine if somebody saw

you wearing that at right, It's kind of hilarious. It's weird that a new generation is into it, and as my Joy and I have kids that are in middle school, Like, as our kids get older and more of their friends are aware of it or it just is something that like enters their conversations. Um, this is the kind of subject matter that I'm like, oh god, I just never thought about being a parent when we filmed this stuff. Like God, when my son sees mean bite your face, Like,

that's gonna be a weird day. Ye do your kids? Do kids industed school? Like what? Like Maria, I think is too. I don't know. She's the kids are that are watching TV or not watching One Tree Hill at eleven and twelve right now, and you know they're you know, people who are picking it up for a little bit older, right, Yeah, yeah, it's there are some young ones, but they have like older siblings. They have like a seventeen year sibling that has introduced them to it, and it's more of just

a novelty like that lady is at the supermarket. Yeah right, she's an actress, right, But I don't think they know yet. No, they haven't watched it. You know, over the years, how many how many men have come up to me that we're you know, I'm you guys this all time. So you know, my my wife or girlfriend started One Tree Hill and then we and it's my favorite show. You know, I watched allasons and we did it over two weeks and we were obsessed. So it's pretty cool. So you

still get recognized from the show all the time. Yeah, you know, I was. I was there for just such a moment in time with with you guys. But it's amazing how that How that's you know, I've been all over the world several continents, and people talk about it. You know, yeah, people to that point. You guys, we know that we're eventually going to find out some Derek back story as a means of softening some of his behavior. Um. Not that that's right. You know, bad guys are bad guys, um,

and we don't need to validate sexual assault. But I think that you were so beloved by the cast and crew of this show that they wanted to humanize Derek in a way so that when you did go away, it wasn't just um right, if you could have played any other male character on our show that was around for much longer, Like if we done to keep you for longer, is there a role that you're like I could have done that would have been Oh man, what what I wanted to do? That's that's a great question.

I always as I as jealous of Um, well, I wanted I wanted uh Lee Nurse's uh sweet Um endearing charm. Yeah, mouth mouth is like you know, you'll you'll love mouth forever. I think you who who gives the note? I think Antoine told him that one of these episodes. He's like, he's like, you know, on my tombstone, there's gonna be you know, like friend and he's like it's gonna be a full funeral because everyone loves you or something like that. Yeah, I love I love that line. I wanted to end

Antoine's swag. Yeah. Yeah, he's so cool in the world. It's like I need my kids to like hang out with him and be like, this is confident. M hm um. I don't know that's that. That's a good question. You would have been a rivercourt boy then? Yeah, how was that? By the way, when you guys all got together with

there was a basketball game. I saw How cool was that? Yeah, there was a convention in Wilmington, and those things are so nice because it's like, I don't know that any other show gets the opportunity to go back to the place that they filmed and be with all of their casting crew, because a lot of the crew shows up as well, and be with the fan base in the places where we filmed like that's a really rare experience. Yeah,

it's trippy. Man. Sometimes you feel like you're at your own funeral when you're at a convention because everyone's like, you met so much to me, and you're like, I'm still I'm still kicking y'all. Y'all might have nuts you. I remember being a woman's in to film another show years later for like, you know, a year, let's say it. I just mirror like it felt like the ghost of Like I was like, oh my god, this is where this and this is the court and this is the

house and you know, I think those where you lived. Hillary. It was like, oh yeah, I remember all these memories. It's very really very special, you know. So it's cool. What are some dreams as an actor for you, like in the future when you look at types of characters you want to play or projects you want to be a part of. What's what excite you? That's a great that's such a great question. Um. I love I love true stories and I love reading. So you know, just

different different different types of nonfiction. You know, I love periods or rather civil war you know. Um, you know, I love I love World War two. Um, you know, different stories. So I'm but but my my biggest dream is I always have loved you know this might be surprised people, but like like I love, um, I love romance movies. I love like rom coms. Oh my god, yeah, like like great love stories like I want to I want to do another great love story about you know,

you know you are so Nicholas Sparks. I can't you need to shoot a movie here in the outer Banks and sweep someone up in some you know, dune mass. I will go to a rom com with you anytime. I spent my entire hall at a break just jamming through the Julia Robertson Hugh Grant catalog. I am brimming with rum comm entergy right now. So we don't we

don't make them. I think, I know and why they're the best movies I know, and I think like everyone loves them and they're just inspiring and it's it's the opposite of yeah, tied someone up in the basement happened, I was Here's this is gonna sound so inappropriate. But I'm a big girl, Like I'm a tall girl, and no one ever, um, I'm not an easy girl to pick up and see Derek like like put his arm around Peyton's waist and pick her up right in the chair.

There is a part of that where I was like, oh gosh, like, apply to a romantic setting hot, appet not hot. I want you to take the skill set you have and apply it to a hot scenario. Yeah, that's what needs to happen. Into it, very into it. Yeah that's right. Oh my gosh, Matt, thank you. So m yes, all right, we're going to find Joy's friends with Nicholas Sparks. Joy, you got to find the right Nicholas Sparks book for Matt to be the lead man. Yeah, Matt,

thank you. You're such a pleasure. You're such a joy. Do you want to spin a wheel with us? Great? Guy? Okay, great, let's do it. We like to do superlatives, so we do them most likely to every week, and we spin a wheel and we find out, oh, who is the most likely to take all of their and your secrets

to the grave. We have to pick character. Ye're no, it's just anybody from the show, So any cast member really like real person, and then any character We picked one of each, so most likely to take your secrets to the grave. M I feel like I mean, Hillary, I tell you all my secrets. Yeah, like I love. In this episode, Mouth has told Shelley like, you know, just like an episode ago, he's like, I'm not gonna tell anybody we had sex. Never tell anybody had sex.

And then in this episode he tells Rachel like right away, We're like, Mouth, you weren't supposed to do that, man, Um, I think the character that would take your secrets to the grave. Wow, we've got this little creepy cell phone situation with Alison Scagliotti in the hallways. She's been keeping some secrets. Oh my goodness, what do you think, Matt,

who's gonna keep your secrets? I would say to you, Hillary, I think I think I think you would ride and die with those with those secrets, I can neither confirm nor deny because of my I'm just gonna sit on everything. I'll write a book about that when we're really old. Like that was the big complaint when I put out Rural Diaries, as people are like, there's nothing about one tree hill in here, and I'm like, yeah, because I have to keep that the secret. Sorry. Kids, you're like

the thing called a pact? Yeah right, Matt, Okay, will you let me know when you're visiting your fiance in New York, and we'll go. We'll go start some rumors. People will be like SoC jerks on the sidewalk. Oh my god, we must. Let's stir up some stirrups from trouble. Let's break the internet. That would be great. Let's do it, Matt, great, Thanks for having all right, bye, Harley by, have a going Hey, thanks for listening. Don't forget to leave us

a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at Drama Queens oth or email us at Drama Queens at iHeartRadio dot com. See you next time. We all about that high school drama. Girl, Drama Girl, all about them high school queens. We'll take you for a ride in our comic Girl Cheering for the Right Teen Drama Queens Dreels, My golf girl Fashion, but your tough girls. You could sit with us Girl Drama Queens, Drama Queens, Drama, Queen's Drama, Drama, Queen's Drama Queens