Chad Michael Murray, known for his roles in Freaky Friday and Hallmark films, has shared his lifelong experience with anxiety, hoping to encourage others to seek help. On June 30, 2025, the 43-year-old actor told Newsweek that despite having coping strategies, his anxiety can still be overwhelming, making everyday activities challenging.
If you ask me to dinner, no, I’d freak out,
he confessed.
I don’t know why. It’s really hard for me to go to dinner. It’s hard for me to go to new places. I’m a homebody. I’m a total introvert.
Murray Accepts That His Anxiety May Never Fully Disappear
Although Murray spent July 25 to 27 attending the Christmas in a Small Town fan convention in Georgia with Hallmark colleagues, he has struggled with anxiety since childhood. He first sought therapy at 21, during a time when mental health support was less common, recognizing he truly needed help.
He emphasized that everyone faces difficulties and that having someone to talk to or a new coping method can provide relief.
It always helps to have somebody and have an outlet to talk to, find a different perspective on it, find a new trick that can help you overcome anxiety, fear, health concerns, whatever it may be.
Murray also acknowledged that anxiety might remain, but managing it is possible.
It’s not like you beat it. You just kind of put your head down and you find your way through it.
Reflecting on his earlier career during interviews in 2024, Murray admitted that despite his popularity on shows like One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls, his confidence was fragile.
Far more fragile than I ever put on,
he said.
I was around 23 and I had an event in Miami, but I couldn’t leave my hotel room,
he recalled.
The world felt like it was closing in; I was having anxiety attacks.
Sharing His Story in the Hope of Helping Others
Murray recently returned as a cast member in the new Freaky Friday sequel alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Prior to filming, he explained to Vulture that his social anxiety influenced his interactions with co-stars, creating a quiet connection. Although he hugged Curtis once at a Hollywood event, he also pointed out a more introverted moment.
I also secretly saw her at Disneyland. We were on the same train, but I didn’t want to bring any attention to her because she was incognito. I gave her a wink and a nod.
Regarding Lohan, Murray shared,
I haven’t seen Lindsay in about 15 years. But I’m a homebody and an introvert. I’m not great socially.
Opening up about his anxiety is a deliberate choice for Murray, motivated by a desire to connect with others facing similar challenges.
Part of me realized that maybe someone else out there could connect with that and say, ‘Oh, I go through that, but he overcame it,
he told Newsweek.
If I can help somebody else by telling a story that happened to be my story, OK, awesome, if not, and if someone wants to go ‘what a weirdo,’ OK fine, all good.
