Paul Johansson as
Dan Scott Born on January 26, 1964 in Spokane, Washington, Paul Joseph Otto Johansson was raised in Vancouver, Canada, where initially became an athlete like his father, a former NHL player. He played with the Canadian National team and led his University to the Canadian College Championship game. He planned on pursuing a professional basketball career abroad, but dropped his plans after thinking of an acting career in Hollywood. After his transition into acting, Johansson landed his first role on the popular soap opera, Santa Barbara. He then moved on to appear in television series such as Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Beverly Hills 90210, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Highlander: The Raven and Ed McBain's 87th Precinct. He also appeared in Dharma & Greg and The Drew Carey Show. For his work in The District, he played the recurring role of Father Patrick Debreno.
As for film, Johansson worked on When the Party’s Over, The Big Picture, She's So Lovely, A Wilderness Station, Carnival of Souls and Alpha Dog.
In 2003, Johansson was cast in the teen drama One Tree Hill, where he played Dan Scott, the father of the lead character played by Chad Michael Murray. His character is often portrayed as the antagonist who survived an attempted homicide, but seemed to mellow down in the later seasons, when he wanted to put his family back together.
TV.com quotes Johansson saying, "Harrison Ford is my favorite hero because he doesn't win every time. He's putting something on the line when he fights. He can get hurt. If you have nothing to lose, what's the point of even getting in the game?"
He adds that he does get recognized for his role in One Tree Hill, saying, "I go through airports and 13-year-old girls will move their seats to get away from me. I'm 'the mean dad.' But moms are a whole other story! They like the bad boy. I get eyes from women pushing quadruplets and think, 'This is weird.'"