Muddying the waters
Chad Michael Murray gets down and dirty for ‘Survive’ role
When Chad Michael Murray teamed up with Bruce Willis for Friday’s home invasion thriller “Survive the Night” (on multiple platforms) his attitude was, “Let’s go make a movie in Georgia!”
Most Georgia locations revolve around Atlanta. Not so with “Night,” as Murray, 38, quickly discovered.
“We were in Columbus, Ga., this very remote area. We shot at this beautiful farmhouse, which was a 30minute drive, and the biggest element was the elements! It was the rainy season. Monsoons. Thunderstorms. The mud was everywhere on the farm. Our trailers were sunk a foot.
“You’re trying to run — and not look like you’re sinking. We’d rework the story because the mud was not part of it. So, you’re filming things on the fly.”
As for Willis, 65, “His daughter Rumer was a friend of my wife’s. I’d never crossed paths with Bruce but, that was one of our talking points.
“I grew up a fan of those films we all have seen. I have a favorite Bruce Willis film, ‘Hudson Hawk,’ and also ‘The Last Boy Scout’ with Damon Wayans.”
They’re antagonists in “Survive” with Murray a disgraced doctor and son-inlaw to Willis’ hard-nosed patriarch.
“To be able to look in his eyes and watch him work was a cool element. We got along like two peas in the pod from the get-go.”
Murray left his Buffalo, N.Y., hometown to model in L.A. at 19. Starring in “One Tree Hill” (2003-2009), he became a Teen Choice Award winner with a fervent teen fan base.
However, unlike so many who disappear along with their hit series, Murray’s continued to work.
Married with two kids, he lives “up in the mountains” above L.A.
“For me, being a husband and parent is what I’ve always wanted.” Life, he’s discovered, “is all about finding a balance. That comes with age and time. My wife Sarah and I made an important choice at the beginning: We’ll be private. People know we have children, but we don’t expose them.
“I always hear my father in my ear. My father was the one who made us deathly afraid of drugs or anything detrimental, like driving too fast in a car.
“He was very big when we’d make a mistake, letting us know he was disappointed. I respect my dad, I love my father so much. Having him as that role model has been huge for me.”