1999–2002: Career beginnings Murray won a scholarship to attend a modeling convention in
Orlando, Florida, where he met an agent who encouraged him to go to Los Angeles for a week and see what happens. In 2000, he
guest starred as Dan on the
MTV drama anthology series
Undressed on the episode "Scared Stiffy" which aired on March 8 as part of its second season. Later that year, Murray was cast in the role of rich kid
Tristin DuGray on
The WB television series
Gilmore Girls as a recurring character in the
first season which debuted on October 5 and in an episode of the
second season the next year. The series became a hit and Murray would go onto become a staple actor on the network for the rest of the decade. He ended his debut year on screen appearing on the November 16 episode of the
CBS crime drama
Diagnosis: Murder during its eighth season. In 2001, he was cast in a
television pilot for The WB, the family drama ''Murphy's Dozen'', which revolved around 12 children and their parents in an
Irish American family in
New Jersey. The lead actress
Kathy Baker signed on in March and the pilot was screened for the network in May but was not picked up for the fall season.
2003–2010: Success with One Tree Hill and mainstream films In 2003, Murray began the year appearing in the
family drama television film
A Long Way Home, also known as
Aftermath, playing the role of Sean in a family trying to reconcile following domestic sexual abuse. He next played the lead role of Luke Hartman on The WB's
western television film
The Lone Ranger which aired on February 26 and served as a
backdoor pilot for a potential series run. Murray was cast in the role of love-interest Jake in the
Walt Disney Pictures comedy film
Freaky Friday, starring
Lindsay Lohan and
Jamie Lee Curtis, which released in theaters on August 6. It was Disney's third adaptation of the 1972
children's novel of the same name authored by
Mary Rodgers. The film was a critical and a major box office success, earning roughly $161 million worldwide. Later that year, he was cast in the lead role of
Lucas Scott on The WB series
One Tree Hill which debuted on September 23, 2003. The first-season finale garnered 4.50 million viewers. The series was one of The WB's most successful programs the year it began and continued with impressive ratings after the network merged with rival
UPN to become
The CW in 2006. The series earned Murray six
Teen Choice Award nominations over the years, including winning
Choice TV – Breakout Actor in August 2004 and
Choice TV Actor – Drama in August 2008. Stemming from the series' popularity, he and his
One Tree Hill co-stars became official endorsers for
MasterCard,
K-Mart,
Cingular Wireless and the
Chevy Cobalt. In 2004, Murray starred as Austin Ames in the romantic comedy film
A Cinderella Story alongside
Hilary Duff which released in July 16. The film was a box office success, earning $70.1 million worldwide, but was panned by critics. The film earned Murray the award for
Choice Movie – Breakout Actor in August 2004 and several more nominations at the
2005 Teen Choice Awards. He is the first person to win their awards for Breakout Actor in both the TV and Movie categories in the same year. Murray was listed as one of "TV's Sexiest Guys" by
People magazine in November 2004. He next co-starred as Nick Jones in the horror film
House of Wax which released theatrically on May 6, 2005. The film earned Murray two more Teen Choice Award nominations, including winning
Choice Movie Actor – Action/Thriller in August 2005. Murray was listed as one of "Fall TV's Sexiest Guys" by
People magazine in September 2005, and was the
cover model for
Teen People magazine that same month. He played the role of Private Jordan Owens in the
Iraq War drama film
Home of the Brave, alongside
Samuel L. Jackson,
Jessica Biel and
50 Cent, which test released in theaters on December 6, 2006, before a
limited theatrical release on April 17, 2007. .|242x242px Murray was listed at #12 on
AOL Television's list of "TV's 50 Hottest Hunks Ever" on November 4, 2008. In May 2009, it was reported that Murray would not be returning to
One Tree Hill for its seventh season. A video of Murray was recorded in which he was telling fans that they did not want him back because they wanted to save money. However, creator
Mark Schwahn said in an interview that Murray had been offered "great things" to return to the show. In 2010, Murray played the love-interest of
Alicia Keys in her music video for "
Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" which premiered on
BET's
106 & Park on May 12. The video depicts the burgeoning romance of a young interracial couple reimagined across different eras, from the 1950s through the 2000s. It won
Outstanding Music Video at the
42nd NAACP Image Awards in March 2011. Murray played the role of Ethan McAllister in the drama television film
Lies in Plain Sight which aired on
Lifetime on October 3, 2010. He played the love-interest Patrick Kerns in the television film
Christmas Cupid, alongside
Christina Milan and
Ashley Benson, which premiered on
ABC Family on December 12.
2011–2015: Chosen, Agent Carter and independent films On August 29, 2011, The CW announced that Murray would return for a guest appearance as Lucas Scott in the final season of
One Tree Hill. The episode aired on February 22, 2012, as part of the concluding
ninth season. He then played the male lead Jamie Tworkowski in the biographical drama film
To Write Love on Her Arms which premiered on March 11, 2012, at the
Omaha Film Festival where it won the Encore Award. The film is based on the true story of Tworkowski's founding of the Florida-based non-profit organization
of the same name helping those struggling with addiction, mental illness and self-injury, and received a limited theatrical release on March 3, 2015. He next played the role of Thatcher in the
short film The Carrier which premiered on April 27, 2012, at the
USA Film Festival. On March 12, it was reported that he was cast to play the male lead Spider Elliot in a television pilot for
ABC,
Scruples, with
Claire Forlani playing the female lead Billy Orsini and with
Natalie Portman serving as an executive producer. The potential series, adapted from
Judith Krantz's pioneering 1979 debut
bonkbuster novel of the same name, was not picked up by the network. In 2013, Murray played the role of Officer Ingram in the biographical drama film
Fruitvale Station, which chronicles the last day of
Oscar Grant, portrayed by
Michael B. Jordan, who was shot and killed by a
BART Police officer in
Oakland, California. The film premiered at the
2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 19 before releasing theatrically on July 12, becoming a critical and box office success, earning $17.4 million from a budget of under a million. Murray next played male lead Andy Wyrick in the horror film
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia which released on February 1. The film, inspired by the true events surrounding the Wyrick family, is Murray's first role playing a father. He guest starred as Officer Dave Mendoza in the crime drama series
Southland on two episodes during its concluding fifth season which premiered on
TNT on February 13. It marked his on-screen union with its co-star
Ben McKenzie (Officer Ben Sherman), who had played
Ryan Atwood on popular teen drama
The O.C. that debuted the same year as
OTH. On October 9, 2013, it was reported that Murray was cast to join action-thriller series
Chosen on
Crackle. He played the lead role of Jacob Orr in the second season which premiered on December 12 that year and in the third season which released on April 15, 2014. Murray played the role of Jay in comedy film
Cavemen which premiered on October 26 at the
2013 Austin Film Festival before a limited theatrical release on February 7, 2014. He played the role of Tanner McCoy in comedy film
A Madea Christmas which released theatrically on December 13, 2013. Murray next co-starred in the apocalyptic thriller film
Left Behind, playing the role of Cameron "Buck" Williams, alongside
Nicolas Cage and
Jordin Sparks. The film, based on the
novel series of the same name authored by
Jerry B. Jenkins and
Tim LaHaye, was released on October 3, 2014. On August 29, 2014, it was announced that Murray was cast in the role of Agent
Jack Thompson in the ABC spy thriller series
Agent Carter, part of the
Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first season premiered on January 6, 2015, and the second season premiered on January 19, 2016. Later in 2015, he guest starred on the
Fox black comedy series
Scream Queens on a
November 24 episode during its first season, playing
Chad Radwell's older brother Brad. Murray starred as the male lead "P.K." in the romantic drama film ''
Other People's Children'' which premiered on August 15 at the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival where it won the Best of Festival award. It received a limited theatrical release on December 25. In order to portray a homeless heroin addict, Murray lost 25 lbs (11.34 kg) of weight, stating that he exercised for three and a half weeks, burning 3,000 calories a day while eating only 1,400 to 1,600 calories a day from a diet consisting of "oatmeal, egg whites, salads, chicken [and] tuna."
2016–2022: Sun Records, Star and Fortress Murray starred as Henry in the western film
Outlaws and Angels which premiered on January 25 at the
2016 Sundance Film Festival, before a limited theatrical release on July 15. On March 14, 2016, it was reported that Murray was cast to star as
Sam Phillips in the
CMT biographical drama series
Million Dollar Quartet. On December 14, the eight-episode miniseries was retitled
Sun Records, before premiering on February 23, 2017. In 2018, he played the male lead Brett Beauchamps in the drama television film
The Beach House, alongside
Minka Kelly and
Andie MacDowell, which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on April 28. He next played the male lead Jack in horror film
Camp Cold Brook which premiered on August 25 at the
HorrorHound Film Festival, before a limited theatrical release on February 14, 2020. On August 27, 2018, it was reported that Murray was cast in a recurring role as Xander McPherson, the toxic love-interest of Cassie Brown as played by
Brandy Norwood, in the third season of the musical drama
Star which premiered on Fox on September 26. On February 8, 2019, it was reported that Murray was cast in a recurring role as Edgar Evernever in the third season of The CW drama
Riverdale. He starred as Luke Miller on television film
Write Before Christmas alongside
Torrey DeVitto on Hallmark Channel on November 17. In 2020, Murray starred as Brett Hollister in the television film
Love in Winterland which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on January 11. He next starred as Paul Barnett in the film
Too Close for Christmas which received a limited theatrical release on November 13, before premiering on Lifetime on December 4. The film marks the first in a series of on-screen collaborations with
Jessica Lowndes. In 2021, he starred as Joel Sheehan in the film
Colors of Love which received a limited theatrical release on February 4, before premiering on
GAC Family on October 23 under the title
An Autumn Romance as its first original movie. The film, based on the 2014 novel ''Tycoon's Kiss
authored by Jane Porter, is the second with Murray and Lowndes together. He starred as Brody Bradshaw in the television film Sand Dollar Cove
which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on June 26. He starred as Gabe on the television film Angel Falls Christmas
which premiered on GAC Family on November 26, marking the third film between Murray and Lowndes. He starred as Kevin Vaughn on the television film Toying with the Holidays'' which premiered on Lifetime on December 18. He played Steve in hotel booking website
Hotels.com's commercial.
2023–present: Return to television with ''Sullivan's Crossing'' On June 1, 2022, it was announced that Murray was cast as the male lead Cal Jones on the drama series ''
Sullivan's Crossing'' alongside
Morgan Kohan as the female lead Maggie Sullivan and
Scott Patterson as her father Sully Sullivan. The Canadian series, based on the American novel series of the same name authored by
Robyn Carr, premiered on
CTV on March 19, 2023. The second season premiered April 14, 2024, and in June 2024, it was announced that the show had been renewed for a third season. He played Lucas,
Brooke Shields' character's love interest in the
Netflix original film
Mother of the Bride (2024), released on May 9, 2024. It reached Netflix's Top 10 most watched lists in numerous countries. On July 18, 2024,
Disney published a photo of Murray as Jake on set of
Freaky Friday's sequel film called
Freakier Friday (2025). ==Writing career==