Chad Michael Murray says a brush with death at 15 still guides his work, recounting on the Great Company podcast a two-month hospitalization for twisted intestines that led to massive internal bleeding and a priest called for last rites. He described losing roughly half his blood and requiring two surgeries, sharing the story while on the publicity circuit for the Freaky Friday sequel, which opened in theaters August 8.
Murray said a nurse’s emergency transfusion saved his life before complications forced doctors to operate again to remove coagulated blood. He left the hospital at 118 pounds after dropping from around 180 and has credited the ordeal with deepening his faith and cementing a close bond with his father, who raised six children. He added that the scare pushed him toward “clean living” and a more intentional approach to storytelling.
During recovery, another nurse who also modeled encouraged him to try modeling, a path that led to representation and early screen work and, eventually, to breakout roles that made him a staple of 2000s teen culture. He framed the episode as a turning point that still shapes how he prepares for parts and what he wants audiences to take from them as he returns to high-profile projects.
