‘One Tree Hill’ Actor Paul Teal’s Cause of Death Revealed

Paul Teal, a film and TV actor known best for his role as Josh Avery in One Tree Hill, died following a battle with cancer. Teal’s fiancée, Emilia Torello, confirmed the actors’ cause of death to TMZ, sharing that Teal passed away seven months after he was diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. Teal’s cause of death was also confirmed by his representative to Today.

Teal passed away in a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 15 at the age of 35, Torello shared. When she first announced his passing in an emotional Instagram tribute Monday, Torello did not initially reveal his cause of death, but said that Teal was “in a battle” that he “fought bravely without fail.”

Remembering her fiancé as “the most talented man I’ve ever met,” and stating that “when he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. He was the most diligent and dedicated person,” Torello told TMZ that she truly believed with all of my heart that he would come out the other side of this because of those traits. That’s what makes this loss even more tragic.”

Torello revealed that throughout his cancer battle, Teal filmed a new series for Starz, The Hunting Wives, which is set to premiere next year. She said being around the cast, which includes Dermot Mulroney and Brittany Snow, helped him continue fighting.

Teal is best known for appearing on Season 7 of the CW’s One Tree Hill in 2010. Many of Teal’s former One Tree Hill co-stars have since paid tribute to the actor online. Jana Kramer, whose character Alex Dupre had a brief romance with Teal’s Josh Avery, said she was “sending love and prayers to @paulteal family and friends. I had the absolute pleasure working with him on season 7 of OTH. He was always so kind and was so fun to work alongside.” Sophia Bush, meanwhile, said she was “incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal,” who she called “such a talent.”

Outside of One Tree Hill, Teal also appeared in the 2022 Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas-starring psychological thriller Deep Water, with his other credits including The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Outer Banks, George & Tammy, Good Behavior, Dynasty, and American Rust, per his IMDb profile.