Teal played in USS Christmas in 2020.
Photo: Brownie Harris/Hallmark Entertainment/Everett Collection

Actor Paul Teal died on Friday, November 15 at the age of 35 after battling cancer, his partner Emilia Torello confirmed on Instagram. He was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer in April TMZ. Torello shared a photo of them together on Sunday, commemorating their relationship in the caption: “Paul, you were my soulmate, my husband-to-be, my rock and my future. You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies and my heart with love. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail. On One Tree Hill, Teal played Josh Avery, a closeted actor who starred in Julian Baker and Alex Dupre’s film Seven dreams until Tuesday. After his time as Josh during season seven, he had supporting roles Dynasty, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Staircase, USS Christmas, And Descendants: The Rise of Red. He filmed his last role for Starz’s The hunting women while you are undergoing treatment.

His former One Tree Hill co-stars paid tribute to the late actor on social media. Sophia Bush wrote on Instagram Stories on Monday afternoon about his time on the show: “Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal. We just started watching him OTH episodes on @dramaqueensoth and he is such a talent. Bethany Joy Lenz knew Teal better when she directed him in her adaptation of a musical version of The notebook in 2006 before it was released One Tree Hill. “He was shy and funny and so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin,” Lenz recalled before she ultimately helped cast him on the show for a six-episode arc as Josh. “With his self-effacing sense of humor and his 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.”