Teal Josh continued playing One Tree Hill for seven episodes. Co-star Bethany Joy Lenz paid tribute to the late actor with an Instagram post.

“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of man who lit up a room without even trying. His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be around him,” Lenz wrote.

Lenz said she “worked closely with Paul” when he played Noah in a musical production of The notebook in 2006, adding, “He was shy and funny and so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin. You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Later I was giddy to direct an episode of it One Tree Hill where I would get to cast a new recurring character, Josh, the sleazy movie star. With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to fully immerse himself in each character, Paul was perfect for the role. It was a pleasure to work with him in any setting and he was so generous.”

“We kept in touch every now and then. I wish it had been more. I wish I had called all the times I wanted to but got distracted. Life is short. I keep thinking that this week. Life is short,” she added.