WASHINGTON: Paul Teal, a TV and theatre actor best for his role in One Tree Hil has passed away at the age of 35 in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, TMZ reported.
Teal's representative revealed that the actor was suffering from cancer. Emilia Torello, Teal's partner, shared with TMZ that the actor was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April.
Torello took to her Instagram account to share an emotional tribute as she wrote, "You were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail. 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."
Paul Teal gained recognition for his seven-episode role as Josh on 'One Tree Hill'. His character's storyline included pursuing Alex, played by Jana Kramer, before revealing his true identity as a gay man.
Bethany Joy Lenz, Teal's One Tree Hill co-star and director, took to her Instagram account to share an emotional post for her friend as she recalled their first meeting during a 2006 theatre production of The Notebook.
"I worked closely with Paul for months when he played Noah in my and @ronaniello musical production of The Notebook in 2006. He was shy and funny and so so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin. You couldn't take your eyes off him. 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," a part of her post read.
Apart from 'One Tree Hill', Teal also appeared in 'Dynasty', 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond', 'USS Christmas', 'Fear Street Part 2: 1978', 'Deep Wate'r, and 'Descendants: The Rise of Red'. Despite battling cancer, he completed filming for the upcoming Starz series The Hunting Wives. Teal was also a celebrated stage actor, performing leading roles in productions like Newsies, Sweeney Todd, and Rent at theatres across the country.