Summary
- Chad Michael Murray reveals that he was cast in Freaky Friday after a chemistry read with Lindsay Lohan, who impressed the director with her energy.
- Despite a significant age difference, Chad Michael Murray and Lindsay Lohan had a professional relationship on set, focusing on their work rather than developing personal relationships.
- Jamie Lee Curtis helped ease Lindsay Lohan's nerves about kissing on screen by kissing Chad Michael Murray herself and assuring them it was nothing to worry about.
Even in his 40s, Chad Michael Murray remains an absolutely ripped heartthrob. But there's simply no comparing the appeal he has now to the rabid lust his fanbase had for when he first burst onto the scene in 2001 thanks to Gilmore Girls. By 2003, Murray was playing Lucas Scott in One Tree Hill and Jake in the Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis Disney classic, Freaky Friday.
Chad Michael Murray became somewhat famous for allegedly hooking up with and dating some of his One Tree Hill co-stars. But, according to him, some hookups happened on the set of Freaky Friday too. Although, they were far more innocent, albeit a little shocking...
Lindsay Lohan Got Chad Michael Murray Cast As Jake In Freaky Friday
With a potential Freaky Friday sequel in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter, eyes are once again on the 2003 original. While Jamie Lee Curtis has been at the forefront of the hype, Chad Michael Murray also stepped in to cheer on the possibility of reprising his role of love interest, Jake. During an interview with Vulture, the former One Tree Hill actor revealed that he was up against Jared Padalecki for the role. However, a chemistry read with star Lindsay Lohan earned him the role in the Mark Waters' film about a mother and daughter who switch bodies.
Murray told Vulture that director Mark Waters later told him that Lohan's energy during the chemistry read was the reason he got the part.
As for Murray's relationship with Lohan at the time, it was highly professional. However, there was an age difference between the two of them. He was 20 and she was 16. And those few years were quite noticeable at that age.
"[Lindsay Lohan] was so young. We all were just a bunch of kids goofing around making a movie," Chad Michael Murray said to Vulture. "She would talk and hang out, but she had so much work, right? I never really wanted to bother her. And when there was a big setup or downtime, she’d have to go to school. That’s one of the downsides when you’re a child actor."
Did Chad Michael Murray Hook Up With Lindsay Lohan And Jamie Lee Curtis?
Chad Michael Murray and Lindsay Lohan did not hook up on the set of Freaky Friday because they were into each other. They had to kiss because the script required it of them. And this proved to be a far more nerve-wracking thing for both of them. Not just because of the age difference, but because Lohan had never been kissed on-screen before.
When asked by Vulture as to whether Lindsay Lohan was a good kisser or not, Chad Michael Murray claimed he didn't recall.
"You’re so focused on the choreography and camera angles," Chad Michael Murray said to Vulture when asked if Lohan was a good kisser.
Murray then proceeded to tell the story of how Jamie Lee Curtis kissed him in order to settle Lohan's fear of making out on-screen.
"Lindsay was really nervous, as anyone would be for a first onscreen kiss. And I guess Jamie [Lee Curtis], who’s a total pro and has been doing this forever, was trying to relax her. She’s like, 'It’s going to be great! It’s going to be awesome!' Somehow it gets to the point where I hear a knock on my trailer door. It’s Jamie, and she goes, 'Come, come, come.' Now I’m in her trailer and Lindsay is in there. And Jamie says, 'We just want to talk to you about this onscreen kiss.' I’m like, 'Okay, great, whatever makes you comfortable. We’re going to crush it.' And Jamie says, 'See? Don’t even worry about it! You’re just doing the work.'"
Murray went on to say, "Jamie goes, 'Forget about it, come here.' And she kisses me and pulls away and goes, 'See? It’s easy! It’s nothing! Right, Chad?'"
The much younger One Tree Hill actor, who was a bit in shock then replied, "Oh, it’s great! Fantastic!"
"And from that moment, I kept thinking how I’d get to go home and tell my dad that I kissed Jamie Lee Curtis! How cool is that?," Murray continued saying in his interview with Vulture. "We grew up watching True Lies, Trading Places. Halloween to this day is my favorite horror movie. What a trooper she is for just leading the way and breaking it down so simplistically for Lindsay and trying to make her feel comfortable."
While Chad Michael Murray originally revealed this story while speaking to Busy Phillips years ago, he went into far more detail during his interview with Vulture. At the time, Chad Michael Murray was about 20 years old. Some outlets claim he was 19, while others say he was 21. But it seems he was 20. And Jamie Lee Curtis was 44.
But as shocking as their age difference appears to be, it seems as though their kiss on the set of Freaky Friday was entirely innocent and good-natured. And it did get Lindsay Lohan to loosen up a bit in order to kiss the One Tree Hill actor on-screen for the first time.
Chad Michael Murray, of course, also had to flirt with Jamie Lee Curtis on camera. And it was the very first scene he shot.
"Of course I [was] nervous, because it was one of those opportunities of just getting into the industry and you’re going up against someone who’s been around," Murray said to Vulture. "It wasn’t uncomfortable flirting with Jamie; it was just nerve-racking to not screw it up. Like, am I flirting too much? Too little? [Whispers] Am I coming off creepy? You worry about all those things. But Jamie was the best and was right there supporting me."
