‘One Tree Hill’ Star Tyler Hilton Loves Being On The Road — But Being A Dad Always Comes First

When I connect with Tyler Hilton over Zoom, he’s on the road, heading up I-65-N from Nashville to Louisville. He’s gearing up for another stop on his North American Tour, celebrating the music of One Tree Hill. Hilton played the notorious, troublemaking musician with a heart of gold, Chris Keller, on the WB show from 2004 to 2012.

Since February, Hilton has been traveling all over the country (and Canada!) playing hits like “Loaded Gun” and fan-favorite covers like “Missing You.” (One Tree Hill fans know what scene played during that song! #Naley). Now, he’s on the last leg with only a few more shows to go in cities like Austin, St. Louis, and Chicago. So, what comes next? For Hilton, it’s heading home to see his family.

Hilton, 41, shares two children — daughter, Winnie, 5, and son, Benny, 9 months — with his wife of ten years, Megan Park. Hilton’s family was also the inspiration for his debut children’s book, Daddy: Live In Concert — an adorable, sing-songy adventure about a daughter gearing up to watch the biggest concert of her life — daddy and a guitar.

When I wish Hilton a “Happy Belated Pub Day,” he smiles.

“Thank you! That sounds fancy. I love that,” he responds.

From his touring van, Hilton and I chatted about music, family, and what makes One Tree Hill fans just so different from the rest.

Scary Mommy: Let's talk about the book! I read it this morning with my husband and our five-year-old. My husband is a professional musician. And so...he was crying.

Tyler Hilton: No! Oh my gosh!

SM: He's a real softy. What was the spark that inspired the book?

TH: I have a 5-year-old, too, and it was during the pandemic. So, we must have had them at the same time. The first year of their life wasn't too bad cause they don't know what was going on, but as it started getting crazier and crazier, I was missing having a crowd to play to. And it was just fun playing for her. And then I started doing these concerts on Instagram for my fans and their kids. The kids loved it. I'd never done kids' music before, and I just had a blast doing it.

It's so funny because my daughter, still to this day, has never seen one of my concerts, never seen me live. And I was like, ‘I could be anybody,’ and she's just like getting this private concert, and she thinks it's the best thing she's ever seen.

I just thought it would be fun to have this little girl's perspective: ‘Oh my god, I'm going to the biggest concert of my life!’ And the biggest rock star she knows is her dad.

SM: I think besides Taylor Swift, my husband is second on the list for my daughter’s music idols. So, since you had so much fun doing those virtual kids’ concerts, would you ever consider doing a kids’ record?

TH: I'm doing it! I'm halfway done! I've written a few original songs, and then I thought I'd do all the classics. It's been so fun to do. The producers, engineers, the musicians that I've been working with, they come into the studio and they're like, ‘This is so funny to just be in this world...’

SM: Does your daughter have any favorite kids’ songs? What are the go-tos?

TH: She loves her some “Wheels On The Bus.” Loves “Old McDonald.” Now she's starting to go into that Disney phase.

SM: You're on the road right now, and you've been on the road for a while, right?

TH: We'll be finished with the World Tour. We'll have done Europe, Australia, and all of North America by June 1st, but I just did it in two to three-week chunks, so I could not be away for too long, but even these three weeks are tough. I'm going to see them in 5 days, and…it's been two and a half weeks, and it's weird because they grow so fast.

SM: When you're gone for those longer stretches, is there a special way that you connect with them?

TH: We FaceTime, but it's really important, especially to my daughter, the first few days that I'm gone, that she adjusts to life without me. I am trying to be sensitive to her and not selfish, and make her talk to me if she's doing well, because it's like, I want it, but I'm trying to be cool for her, and if she's adjusting and she's fine, then that's the best thing.

So, I've tried to be cognizant of that, which has been an adjustment for me. Because kids will be like, ‘Okay, I'm done. I don't want to talk to you anymore.’ And I'm trying to be ‘You know what? That's cool,’ because I'm stoked that she's feeling good as opposed to ‘When are you coming home?’

SM: If they're adjusted and then they see you again, I feel like it almost reminds them that you're gone.

TH: I actually asked another friend of mine who travels a lot and is a dad how, as an entertainer, he did it for so long. He was like, ‘When I was home, I was on the floor and in their faces. When I was home, I was home.’ I really try to do that too. Make sure that I'm there from the first morning back to making breakfast.

SM: Totally. Just staying super present.

TH: Yeah! Which, honestly, after being a stay-at-home parent for most of the pandemic while Megan was working, I realized parenting is so much harder than any work that when I'm on the road. I'm exhausted, but after three days home, I'm like this is way harder. It's so much.

SM: Yes, 100% agree. Any stay-at-home parent, I’m like, ‘Good for you! I could never!’

TH: No, it's running a business. It's like being a babysitter, a secretary, a chef. It's so much. And being present and loving, and patient. It’s a lot!

SM: Speaking of your wife, she wrote and directed two movies that are both critically acclaimed! No big deal. What's it like to have a super badass wife?

TH: It's such a good question actually. I've always thought that she was, but when she got the role in the show Secret Life of the American Teenager, it was so cool because I watched her go from this person who was magical without any of the career accolades to somebody who became a celebrity!

Then watching her start the writing and directing thing and becoming this whole other level — in charge of a set, running all this stuff and the casting process — it's been unbelievable. I'm so proud. It's been amazing. It's just icing upon icing on an already amazing cake.

SM: Switching gears to One Tree Hill, we talked to Bethany Joy Lenz not too long ago, and we asked her where she thought Nathan and Haley would be now. She said something along the lines of that they would be broken up and back together a bunch of times.

TH: Hopefully, I'd be a part of one or two of those breakups.

SM: No! Your character’s arc! There was a lot of growth!

TH: That's true. He's got a good heart. He knows.

SM: If you were sharing a bill with Chris Keller, or on the same tour, would you guys be buds?

TH: God, what was his vibe with guys? He's so funny with guys, isn't he? I am friendly with everybody, and I like to make friends with people. I just think it's fun to think that we would definitely be buds. I think we would be buds. But if I was a girl I would hate him…

SM: Did you know anybody who kind of inspired the way that you portrayed him?

TH: Oh, there are a lot of guys like that, but it's just kind of scary, it just came out of me. I'm almost embarrassed at how much fun it was and how easy it was.

SM: And the One Tree Hill fandom ... I feel like they're built different. Do you think there's a reason why they're just such a dedicated bunch of people?

TH: The writing is really good and beautiful and gives you chills. The music is really good — the music choices they made. The cast — who they are.

I didn't want to be on the show. My label made me do it to promote my song, but after hanging with the cast, we all became friends so fast. I was obsessed with them, and I didn't want to be because I was like, “Ugh a dumb teen drama I've never seen?’ But I just fell in love with them.

Chad and I became friends instantly. Sophia and I became friends instantly. Hillary. Joy. We just got so close within the first week, and we all genuinely loved each other. We were in a small town and all we had were each other. We weren't in L.A. or anything. So, I don't know if any of these factors all contributed to it, but we were like a team. It was just a vibe. It was like a band that works.

SM: Last question for you: What records are you listening to lately?

TH: Such a good question. So, I finally did a Kendrick Lamar deep dive, and I love a lot of that. I like three or four songs off the new Lady Gaga record, and then that got me into her jazz stuff. So, I've made a little Lady Gaga playlist of her jazz stuff that I'm really into. My tour manager got me into an old Zydeco guy named Buckwheat Zydeco, and we've been listening to him a lot this week.

And there's one other guy I want to shout out. His name is Joel Plaskett. I just became obsessed with him because sometimes I go through phases where I don't listen to music at all, and it just gets too much. His concert was so good that it got me into listening to music again for this whole tour. It's really crazy.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.