Chad Michael Murray was born on August 24, 1981, in Buffalo, New York. He was raised by his single father, Rex Murray, who worked as an air traffic controller. He has five siblings, including an older sister and three younger brothers. His mother left the family when he was ten years old. Chad attended Clarence High School, where he developed a love for literature and played football.

As a teenager, he worked at a movie theater and later moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting and modeling.

Chad began his career as a model, working for brands like Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, and Gucci. He made his acting debut with guest roles in TV series such as Diagnosis: Murder and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

He gained popularity with his role as Tristin DuGray on the TV series Gilmore Girls and later as Charlie Todd on Dawson's Creek. However, he is best known for his role as Lucas Scott in the teen drama series One Tree Hill, which he played from 2003 to 2009 and briefly in 2012.

He also starred in movies like Freaky Friday, A Cinderella Story, and House of Wax. He continued to build his career with roles in TV series like Agent Carter, Riverdale, and Sullivan's Crossing.

In his personal life, Chad Michael Murray was married to actress Sophia Bush from 2005 to 2006. He later found love with actress Sarah Roemer, whom he met while filming the TV show Chosen.

They got married in 2015 and have three children together, a son born in 2015, a daughter born in 2017, and another daughter born in 2023. Chad and Sarah prefer to keep their family life private but occasionally share glimpses of their happy moments on social media.

Throughout his career, Chad Michael Murray has received several awards and nominations. He won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor for his role in House of Wax in 2005 and the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor for One Tree Hill in 2008.

He has also been nominated for various other awards, including the Prism Award and the Bravo Otto Award. He has also ventured into writing, publishing a graphic novel titled Everlast in 2011 and a novel co-authored with Heather Graham titled American Drifter in 2017.