Bethany Joy Lenz pays tribute to an old friend after his death.

The actress shared a heartfelt post to Instagram on Sunday, November 17, in which she reflected on her longtime relationship with actor Paul Teal, who died at the age of 35 after a battle with cancer.

“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of man who lit up a room without trying. His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be around him,” Lenz, 43, began her tribute.

They first met during a production of The notebook in 2006, she said, recalling that on stage “you couldn’t take your eyes off him.”

“Later I felt giddy when I got to direct an episode One Tree Hill where I got to cast a new recurring character, Josh, the dirty movie star,” she continued. ‘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 environment 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 I got distracted. Life is short. I keep thinking that this week. Life is short.’

In the post, Lenz shared a collection of photos of Teal from the 2006 musical, as well as several behind-the-scenes photos from the production, all set to a recording of Teal singing “Sunday Train,” Noah’s big solo. in the performance.

“Now, at 35, he has taken another train. He was too young to die. Far too young. I am devastated,” Lenz continued. ‘I’ll miss you, Paul. Thank you for sharing your light with us.”

Teal joined in One Tree Hill in season 7 in 2010 as Josh, an actor starring in the film with Alex (Jana Kramer) and Julian (Austin Nichols). He had a brief relationship with Alex before coming out as gay.

Never miss a story: Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

One Tree Hill can be streamed in full on Hulu and Max.