Tyler Hilton plays the guy you love to hate on the CW's One Tree Hill. The singer/songwriter/actor returned to the drama for its final season to reclaim his role as Chris Keller: the music artist whose interactions with others outside of the recording studio could write their own song lyrics! Hilton and I recently chatted about the role he says allows him to get a free pass at hilarious behavior and how fans will get to see a different side of Chris Keller before the final Tree Hill curtain call in April. As Hilton talked about what he will always hold close to him from the show, there was no doubt just how much he cherishes his time on One Tree Hill. Hilton, who played Elvis Presley in the Oscar-winning film Walk The Line, also spoke of his passion for creating and performing music and who he would be in another life!
What was your first reaction when they told you Chris Keller was coming back?
Tyler- Well it's funny because we've actually talked about it over the years, so it was like an on-going thing, would I want to come back. It kind of never worked out timing was. I was touring and doing music stuff and it just never worked out. And then it was funny because my girlfriend was actually filming a movie in Wilmington, Cinderella Story 3, so she was there and I said “Oh I want to go out there and visit because I haven't seen that town in so long.” I went out there and had dinner with Mark Schwahn and with some of the cast just to catch up. Afterward we were talking and he said, “it would be so great to have you back next season for the last season.” And I thought it was actually the perfect time to do it. And I started getting to see what kind of stuff they would come up with. And then he called me and just showed me the first page of the first episode which I am with Dan Scott in the car and the gun, and I was like, “Dude, I don't know what's going on but I'm in! Let's do this!”
What was it like for you to reunite working with the cast after a few years? When I was at the One Tree Hill Evening in LA event, everyone kept talking about how excited they were that you had returned.
Tyler- It was so cool! The cast was excited. And I always felt when I was coming back that it wasn't just the work situation I was coming back to, it wasn't just a career decision; these are people that I've known since I was 19 years old. We've just known each other a long time so even after I left the show, we always stayed in touch and stayed friends. So I think for them it was fun too because instead of us trying to hang out or keep in touch, I'm just going to get to be there for the last four months which is easy. It's easy to be friends there. We're all always hanging out. The work part of it just felt so easy and so right. It just flowed so well because it was just kind of nice to be back. It was nice because it was a new character but someone that everybody had already known, was familiar with and working with and hanging with was easy. I just couldn't believe it I felt like I dived right in. There were a few people I hadn't met like Jana [Kramer], Shantel [VanSanten] and Rob [Buckley], but they were killers! It was great!
Chris Keller is a fun guy to watch. What is it like playing him? What do you enjoy the most about him? He's hilarious.
Tyler- I think it's that, when I read the scripts, I'm reading it like a fan too. And I get so excited to see what Chris Keller is going to do and so I just read these scenes and they're just hilarious to me. They write the characters so awkward and so uncomfortable, and he's kind of confident and he's such a douchebag and so the whole time it's so fun to try to create that. As I'm looking over the scripts, I'm like how can I just be as douchey and as funny as I can? It's just fun. There's something about him that I just love. I tend not to do that normally so it's just a fun thing to do. (Laughs) It's like getting a free pass!
The lines for him are very well-written and clever.
Tyler- There's something about the way they write those lines that I feel like anybody saying those lines would be hilarious. I'm just glad I get to be the one!
We have seen him working with Alex this season, what's ahead for him at RedBedroom and Tree Hill now that he's there full time?
Tyler- Well I think what we're going to get to see is a whole new side of that character. He's got a new job and he's got a reason to be in town. He's not going to be touring, he's not going to be the artist. He's not going to be the famous guy that he was for a second. And Alex made that clear in the last episode. We're just going to get to see everyday, 9 to 5 Chris Keller. That's what I was really excited about being because I never got to see it or get to know it. I'm going to be there in Tree Hill with all the characters. I'm just a part of their lives now so it's going to be fun to watch.
It was fun to see him with Chuck in the studio in the past episode.
Tyler- Yes! One of the cool things too is they pair me up with everyone. Everyone automatically thinks I'll be with this person or this person, but they pair me up with the most funny, random people this season. Girls and guys. And that's what I love too, getting to work with everyone all the time. And this season I get to work with tons of people and it's really funny.
Will he have a real relationship this season, or will he keep just hitting on Haley?
Tyler- I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that there is love in Chris Keller's life and you might find out about it next episode!
You mentioned Chris Keller with Dan, what's ahead for him with Dan? This is a very odd pairing what we saw in the car for that brief moment in the premiere.
Tyler- You know the vibe this season is it's all about redemption and all about forgiveness. And it's interesting because Mark always makes the characters not black and white. I like that and I think that's what's interesting about these characters. But in this season I think we're going to see what matters enough to the people we've learned to hate to make them heroes and what are the redeeming qualities in those people. And so I think there is a scene where we're just seeing two characters that for very different reasons are just having to dig deep and be brave. That's what is kind of interesting about that whole thing and seeing them work together.
Looking back on playing this role and the four seasons you have played him, is there a moment with Chris Keller that really stands out most to you?
Tyler- The best thing that I love about doing the character is that there's a lot of things that Chris Keller says that are super dead-on. And Mark just knows some things about the music business and he knows the realities of them. And that's what I love about this character. Some of my favorite moments are the moments that I've gotten to talk to artists like Alex or Haley and tell them things that either I wish maybe someone would have told me, or I could have told me or are good reminders to myself or just good reminders to musicians. So he's playing the devil's advocate to the musicians that are just like I'm just going to be good without trying. Chris Keller's not about that and those moments are always so fun because I believe in them so much. And then obviously the best episode I ever had I think was the whole episode where we were in the boat gambling, Nathan and I. That was just a blast because we were just doing the weirdest stuff! It was fun and we were doing stunts.
What will you take away from your entire One Tree Hill experience? Most valuable part?
Tyler- This is the thing-and I will always say this, is I might be on more successful shows. I might be with projects of maybe of more of a higher caliber than this one: but the main thing about this, even with all the story lines and all the things that I've said-is this show feels like an underdog, we're like a team, like a family. Like a little league team of sorts. We're all into the show in a certain way and we all just banded together from that. We were all in Wilmington, North Carolina while we were filming it so it was just this camaraderie that was just from that show. And it won't go away. It may not be worth bragging about for the rest of my life but we'll know. And I love being a part of that fraternity. It's a really cool feeling. I tend to like touring with bands and having like a family. I like going through these things with people and it's a really cool thing to have that group and share that with a group. I'll never forget that. And as everyone gets older and has families and is in the business longer and longer, projects may mean less and less to them, but this one made a really good impression. It meant a lot to all of us.
A lot of the cast members have said similar things to me, too. That just being away from Los Angeles and being in a small town together made everyone close friends.
Tyler- Yeah, and we've always said that if they turned the cameras around and focused on all of our drama..like being there you end up loving and hating everybody at some point! And you end up falling in love and out of love with just about everybody at some point. It's just the way it is. You just go through things together and that brings you closer. And it was cool for me as a musician, it was something I never thought of to be on a TV show. I never thought that I would get to experience that side of life. I just would never have imagined that that would be what it was like. It was cool.
You had a beautiful song played in the latest episode. What's going on with your music right now?
Tyler- Thanks. I've got a new record coming out in April. It's going to up for pre-order in a few weeks I think on iTunes. I've been working on it for a really long time. I think it's the best thing I have ever done. I'm really excited about it. The first song from the first episode is on there. And that song, “Kicking My Heels” is also going to be on the record too. I think it's going to be really cool. I'm really excited for everyone to hear it. The record is called Forget The Storm.
What do you get out of music that you don't get out of acting? What inspires you most about it?
Tyler- It's just different vibes. One it's fun to get to work with other people and kind of make their vision come true. And be like, “That's so funny let's do that.” Or “Yeah I really feel this.” So to kind of great to help someone realize their dream or get to go inside a character. Music is a whole different thing because it's all me. It's just my ideas. So it's total self-expression from the start. An idea starts in my head and then people end up singing it and tapping their foot to it and that's amazing. But with acting, it's not something that I see all the way through. It's not something that I want to see all the way through necessarily, it's something that I actually like picking up at that stage. Give me a script, give me a character that I like, it's really fun for me to do. So it's two totally different highs.
You played Elvis in the highly successful film Walk The Line with Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Withersoon. What was it like for you to play such an iconic figure? Did you any feel pressure at all?
Tyler- Yes, more for myself than for anything because I grew up just being obsessed with him. I almost didn't take the part because I was too nervous. It was too important to me. But sometimes as little as it seems to some people, there are moments like that that are really big for a certain person. For me that was a really big moment for me to step up and say I'm going to do this and I'm going to try and knock it out of the park. For me it was more of an awesome thing like I can't believe I get to play my idol of all idols. And everything about that movie was so amazing. As crazy as it was, it was all secondary to not being able to believe that I was actually able to play Elvis.
What would Tyler Hilton be doing if he wasn't singing or acting?
Tyler-I hate to cop out and say that I would just keep creating, but there's two parts of me that I realize I can't change: one I like to entertain. I really do. I like being on stage and I like playing live and I just really like to entertain. So I'd figure out something where I could do public speaking. Something where I could do that I would really love. And then the other side of me is the creative side where I can't imagine not creating. Sometimes I feel like I would have been a teacher or something like that. A profession where I was able to be creative with people and get to kind of entertain as well. I just really love it.
If you could go back in time and spend a day in the life of anyone from history, who would it be and why?
Tyler- It would be Elvis Presley. No question about it! I'm just so fascinated by him on so many levels. But the thing that most fascinates me the most is about how a kid who is so young, knows nothing about rock stars, about fame, becomes like the biggest thing in the world. That just blows my mind. It fascinates me. And then the way he stayed level-headed. And I think if I could spend a day in the life of Elvis in his 20's in the late 50's, that would be it for me. If I could spend a day in the life of 1956 Elvis, I would be good.
Visit TylerHilton.com for much more on Tyler! @TylerHilton on Twitter!
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