‘One Tree Hill’ Prequel Dream Cast: Our Picks for Dan Scott, Karen Roe & More
As much as fans would love to see Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, and the rest of the Ravens return to Tree Hill, there’s one area of One Tree Hill lore that fans seem even more eager to explore. It’s about time we take it back for a One Tree Hill prequel.
Over 22 years ago, One Tree Hill premiered, introducing viewers to estranged brothers Lucas (Murray) and Nathan Scott (Lafferty), who are forced into each other’s orbit when Lucas is convinced to join their high school basketball team, the Tree Hill Ravens, captained by Nathan. Between the ever-present love triangle between Lucas, Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), and Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush), and Nathan’s relationship with Lucas’ best friend, Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz), One Tree Hill was famous for delivering juicy drama. However, no love story was messier than the scandal that occurred over a decade prior between Lucas and Nathan’s parents.
There have been rumblings about a potential One Tree Hill revival series, which had us thinking about a possible prequel. Below, we’re breaking down everything that went down between Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), Karen Roe (Moira Kelly), and Deb Scott (Barbara Alyn Woods) before Lucas and Nathan entered the picture, and sharing our picks for the young actors who should take on these prequel roles if the stars ever aligned.
Do you agree with our dream cast? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
One Tree Hill, All Seasons, Streaming Now, Hulu
Carson Rowland as Dan Scott
Long before he owned Dan Scott Motors, Dan (Johansson) was at the top of his game, shooting hoops in high school, while dating cheerleader Karen (Kelly). Of course, when forced to choose between his love for Karen and his love for basketball, Dan chose his athletic career. When it comes to dream casting this pre-villain stud, we’ve chosen Sweet Magnolias star, Carson Rowland, who somehow manages to look like both Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty rolled into one.
Thomasin McKenzie as Karen Roe
At the end of their relationship, Dan and Karen get pregnant with Lucas. When it comes to Dan’s jilted high school girlfriend, we’re tapping Thomasin McKenzie from Jojo Rabbit, Old, and more. It’s clear that McKenzie can portray the innocence and heartbreak required to take on Karen’s story, so we’d love to see her step onto the small screen for the role.
Emily Alyn Lind as Deb Lee
After Dan leaves Karen in the dust, he meets Deb (Woods) at college. Only a few months after Karen becomes pregnant with Lucas, Deb Lee learns she is pregnant with Nathan. See why we said this backstory was more dramatic than the OG series? Naturally, when it comes to portraying Barbara Alyn Wood’s character, we had to dream cast her real-life daughter, We Were Liars star Emily Alyn Lind.
Jace Norman as Keith Scott
During our perfect One Tree Hill prequel, we hope to answer one of the biggest unanswered questions about the Scott family: Did Dan go after Karen in high school because Keith (Craig Sheffer) had a crush on her? To portray Dan’s older (and more favorable) brother, Keith, we’ve selected Henry Danger star Jace Norman, who knows a thing or two about returning to a nostalgic role.
David DeLuise as Whitey
It wouldn’t be a Tree Hill basketball series without Ravens coach Whitey Durham (Barry Corbin). To rewind the clock back to the first time Whitey went head-to-head with Dan Scott, we couldn’t help but throw Wizards of Waverly Place dad David DeLuise in the mix. Go team!
