James Lafferty, born on July 25, 1985, in Hemet, California, is an American actor, director, and producer best known for his role as Nathan Scott on the popular television series One Tree Hill.
Raised in a supportive family, Lafferty developed an early interest in acting, encouraged by his parents, Angelica and Jeffrey Lafferty.
His mother, Angelica, of Mexican descent, played a significant role in nurturing his and his sibling’s creative pursuits, driving them from Hemet to Los Angeles for auditions over a decade.
His father, Jeffrey, who runs a local construction company, has a mixed heritage of Irish, English, German, and Scottish ancestry.
Lafferty’s passion for acting was evident from a young age, beginning with a school play at age ten and a voice-over role in the animated film Annabelle’s Wish at twelve.
Alongside acting, Lafferty was an accomplished athlete, earning a black belt in Taekwondo and excelling as a basketball player at Hemet High School, where he was named the Most Valuable Player.
After graduating, he briefly attended California State University, Long Beach, before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, at eighteen to star in One Tree Hill.
Siblings
James has one sibling, a younger brother named Stuart Lafferty, who has also pursued a career in the entertainment industry.
Stuart appeared in a 2005 episode of One Tree Hill, the same show that catapulted James to fame, and went on to act in films such as Death Sentence (2007) and Quantum Apocalypse (2010).
Beyond acting, Stuart has modeled for brands like L.L. Bean, Ocean Pacific, and Champs Sports.
Over time, he shifted his focus toward producing, serving as an associate producer for the television series Everyone Is Doing Great, a project co-created by James and his One Tree Hill co-star Stephen Colletti.
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Career
Lafferty’s career spans acting, directing, and producing, with his breakout role as Nathan Scott on One Tree Hill (2003–2012) establishing him as a household name.
The teen drama, which followed the lives of two half-brothers navigating high school basketball and personal drama, showcased Lafferty’s ability to portray a complex character who evolved from an arrogant athlete to a devoted husband and father.
During the show’s nine-season run, he directed four episodes, demonstrating his versatility behind the camera.
Before One Tree Hill, Lafferty appeared in uncredited roles on shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and had guest spots on Boston Public, Once and Again, and Get Real.
He also starred in the ESPN television film A Season on the Brink (2002), playing basketball player Steve Alford.
After One Tree Hill, Lafferty took on diverse roles in films like S. Darko (2009), Oculus (2013), Waffle Street (2015), and Small Town Crime (2017), as well as television series such as Crisis (2014), Underground (2016), and The Haunting of Hill House (2018).
He directed episodes of The Royals (2015–2018) and All American (2022) and co-created and starred in Everyone Is Doing Great, a Hulu comedy series about actors navigating life after fame.
Lafferty’s producing credits include the documentary Yank Tanks (2002) and an unsuccessful reality series pilot, Wild Life: A New Generation of Wild (2011), which he co-produced with Stuart and Stephen Colletti.
Accolades
Lafferty received four Teen Choice Award nominations for his portrayal of Nathan Scott, including categories like Breakout TV Star, Scene Stealer, TV Chemistry, and Parental Unit, reflecting his impact on audiences.
In 2019, Lafferty won the Mammoth Film Festival Award for Best TV Episodic for his work on Everyone Is Doing Great, highlighting his success as a producer and director.
His athletic achievements also garnered attention, with an MVP award from Hemet High School and participation in the 2008 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game alongside stars like Terrell Owens and Ne-Yo.
Lafferty’s contributions to charity, including hosting basketball games for community causes, further underscore his multifaceted career, though he stepped back from such events in 2009 due to privacy concerns for his family.
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