Filming One Tree Hill Makeout Scene Made Hilarie Burton Really Uncomfortable

One Tree Hill alum Hilarie Burton opens up about an intimate scene that left her feeling very uncomfortable. Burton starred as Peyton Sawyer in the popular teen drama, which initially centered around the lives of half-brothers Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty). The series had a long run, lasting for nine seasons and airing 187 episodes, as it started on The WB and later continued as a part of The CW.

A big part of the show’s success was in its ability to craft relationships that viewers cared about, not only between the two leading brothers but also in the romantic couples which tended to provide fans with plenty of highs and lows. One of One Tree Hill’s central couples were Peyton and Lucas, as they were linked together from the very first season. Still, in new remarks, Burton shed light on a key scene between the two characters that was difficult to film.

During a recent episode of the Drama Queens podcast, which Burton hosts alongside former One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz, the actress opened up about a scene that happened early on in the teen drama and left her feeling very uncomfortable. In episode seven of season 1, Peyton and Lucas share their first kiss. The moment escalates, with Peyton soon kissing down Lucas’ chest while unbuttoning his shirt. Burton says that she felt very uneasy about the escalation during filming, noting that it felt “dirty”. You can read Burton’s quote, via TooFab, below.

“The way it was written was very graphic, which made me nervous because it was like… you couldn’t question it. Like, this is what’s written out so we have to get the shot of you unbuttoning the shirt and we have to get the shot of you kissing down his chest. I was, like, crying in my trailer. I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do this. It feels dirty. It feels like they’re trying to sex everything up.’”

Burton went on to explain that she “felt like a prostitute” for being paid to perform such an intimate act, underlining the degree of unease and uncertainty that the actor must have felt in the moment. She also makes clear that she was supported by Murray and especially by the women in the cast, who banded together to help her in the aftermath of the unpleasant experience. The recollection speaks to the care that has to be taken, particularly when depicting intimacy in teen dramas and other forms of entertainment that are targeted to a younger audience. Not only are the characters young, and often underage, but for the actors themselves, it could be their first major role and their first time taking part in an intimate shoot. That should always be handled with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

The recollection is particularly notable, given that the women on the cast and crew of One Tree Hill would once again come together to call out showrunner Mark Schwahn for sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. It raises questions about the purpose of scenes with heightened intimacy, and what they seek to accomplish. One potential solution, advocated by Burton herself, is for teen dramas to be spearheaded by a female showrunner that would take the concerns of the cast and crew into account and think responsibly about the kinds of scenes that are worth including.

Source: TooFab

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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