Chad Michael Murray’s Merry Gentlemen required 6 hours of dance lessons

On November 23, 2024By Littum

Chad Michael Murray wears everything in his new Christmas movie – literally.

To get in shape for “The Merry Gentlemen,” the actor took six hours of dance lessons four times a week, he told Variety in a interview published Wednesday.

“It was a combination of everything from cardio to cyro to vitamins, supplements and clean eating. If God didn’t make it, I didn’t eat it,” Murray joked to the outlet. “Cryo” refers to cryotherapy, a process in which extreme cold is used to freeze and remove abnormal tissue, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

In “Merry Gentlemen” – out Wednesday on Netflix – he plays a handyman turned exotic dancer who tries to save a local diner at Christmas time.

There are already early signs of success — “Merry Gentlemen” has dethroned “Hot Frosty,” another Christmas love story on Netflix’s top 10 list.

While it certainly raised eyebrows when it was first announced, the film is a lot less scandalous than you might imagine, the “One Tree Hill” actor told Variety. “It’s not free by any means,” he said, “it’s in the perfect place where people won’t feel wrong with it on the TV in the background.”

Murray is a veteran heartthrob who became a mainstay on TV teen dramas like “Dawson’s Creek” and “Gilmore Girls” in the early 2000s before landing a career-defining role as Lucas Scott on “One Tree Hill.”

Now, at the age of 43, the actor can still capitalize on his swoon-worthy status. But it’s not as easy as it used to be, he told Variety.

“It’s a really hard thing to deal with. You start going gray and people start talking. Those things can get into your head, it can affect you,” Murray said. “I can’t imagine the weight that many people feel when they go through that on a daily basis. I’m sure time will continue to go by and someone will say, “What happened to Chad? Why did he melt?’ it can affect me.”

Is Chad Michael Murray Ready to Join ‘One Tree Hill’ Reboot?

As for his “One Tree Hill” glory days, the actor told Variety that despite rumors, there are no formal talks about a reboot that he has been involved with. News broke in September that a “One Tree Hill” sequel series was in early development at Netflix.

The fanbase is hungry, though, and Murray said, “If this show comes to fruition, I’m so excited for them to go through this journey — whatever that journey may be.”

“Merry Gentlemen” joins another somewhat tepid holiday movie coming out this year: “Hot Frosty,” about a woman who falls for a sexy snowman. Together, the two films challenge a time-honoured tradition that Christmas films must be chaste.

Murray himself starred in a number of these films, including “The Wise Men” and “Angel Falls Christmas,” which premiered on Hallmark and the Great American Family network, respectively.

Starring: Pamela Avila