Paul Teal has passed away at the age of 35 after battling with cancer. The Outer Banks actor played a crewman in two episodes of the show that was released in 2021.

His partner, Emilia Torello, broke the news on her Instagram on Monday, November 18. She shared a black-and-white photo with Teal where the couple shares a romantic moment. In her post, she wrote, “The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024.”

“Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future,” she continued. “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.” Paul’s fiancée said in her statement.

Things to know about Paul Teal

Paul Teal and his fiancée Emilia Torello’s romantic relationship blossomed following the release of the 2022 show Newsies, in which they played Jack Kelly and Katherine Plumber. The show was based on the 1992 musical film of the same name. Their relationship was confirmed when Torello shared a snippet from the set in September 2022 showing the two sharing a kiss onstage.

Paul Teal is prominently known for his role in the American teenage drama One Tree Hill, where he played Josh in Season 7 in 2010. His co-star, Bethany Joy Lenz, remembered the actor as a person who had an “infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him” in an emotional post on Instagram. Lenz shared a video compilation of his photos from The Notebook along with a song called Sunday Train running in the backdrop.

She mentioned that she worked with Paul on the musical production of The Notebook, where he played Noah Calhoun, and then he was recast for an episode of One Tree Hill.

“With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part. He was a joy to work with in any environment and so generous.” Lenz added.

She ended her statement with a note that he was too young to die and thanked him for sharing his light with the world.

Teal’s other co-star, Sophia Bush, shared an Instagram post paying an emotional tribute to the late actor. She shared an article link from Forbes that announced the news of his demise and wrote, “Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal. We are just starting to watch his OTH episodes on [“Drama Queens” podcast] and he’s such a talent.”

One Tree Hill’s social media post read, “Saddened and devastated to hear about the passing of Paul Teal, who played Josh Avery on ‘One Tree Hill’ and was a Wilmington native. My thoughts and prayers are with Paul’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. Thank you for teaching us not to be afraid of anything,” they wrote in a statement.

“Need to spend more time together”: Love is Blind: Argentina star Florfi opens up before making the “decision”

Will Cross introduce its mega villain soon? Everything to know about the future of the Amazon Prime show

Besides One Tree Hill and Outer Banks, Paul Teal appeared in Deep Water, Fear Street: Part Two-1978, and in a few episodes of The Staircase, American Rust, George & Timmy, and Dynasty. His upcoming project includes The Hunting Wives, where he plays Pastor Pete. The series will be released in 2025.