James Lafferty as
Nathan Scott James Martin Lafferty, who was born on July 25, 1985 in Hemet, California, began his acting career when he was just six years old, when he was encouraged by his mother to act. In 2001, he landed a role as Emeril's son on Emeril. He then moved on to appear as guest on Once and Again, Get Real and Boston Public. He then landed the role of Steve Alford in the film A Season on the Brink. In 2003, he graduated from high school and entered California State University before landing the role of Nathan Scott in the teen drama, One Tree Hill.
TV.com reports that Lafferty finds inspiration in his idol, as he said, "Tom Hanks has been a huge idol of mine. I'd love to work with someone like him someday. You could learn a lot working with someone like that."
In addition, Lafferty gave some advice to aspiring actors, saying, "My advice to an aspiring actor would be to never stop learning or working for what you want. Nothing comes easy, ever, if you want something, you have to work for it. By working for it I mean work on your craft, learn from people who have something to teach. It's just like anything else, practice makes perfect."
He added that "It's not an easy game. You've got to be a dreamer to do it, but you've also got to be willing to work hard. I always believed if you put the work in you'll get the benefits. This is an unstable business, also, so don't let that be the only thing you depend on. Make sure you have a fall-back. But most important, don't give up."
Lastly, he left message for the fans of One Tree Hill, saying, “I was definitely surprised to see the success we were having as a show after being secluded in Wilmington. We don't get a whole lot of perspective on the way things are going while we are out there, so it was nice to see that you guys are supporting us like this. THANK YOU!”
Exclusive Interview: James Lafferty of 'One Tree Hill'