“One Tree Hill” actor Paul Teal dies at 35, Bethany Joy Lenz pays tribute: 'My heart is heavy'

Teal's other screen credits included "Outer Banks," "The Staircase," and "Descendants: Rise of Red."

Paul Teal, the actor known for his recurring role as Josh Avery on the young-adult drama One Tree Hill, died Friday at 35 after a battle with cancer.

His representatives at STW Talent Agency confirmed the news on social media and said, "His exceptional talent and kind spirit touched the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. The void he leaves behind will be deeply felt."

Teal's partner, Emilia Torello, also mourned his death, writing, "Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, 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. While a part of me died with you, I promise to fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every single day."

Teal hailed from the Wilmington, N.C., area and was active in the local theater community. The actor go this start performing in musicals like The Producers; Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson; and The Rocky Horror Picture Show; for which he won several local acting awards, according to an obituary in the Wilmington Star News.

Teal's screen credits also included Descendants: Rise of Red, Deep Water, Outer Banks, and The Staircase. But his breakthrough came on One Tree Hill, which filmed around Wilmington. Teal appeared in several episodes of the series' seventh season as Josh Avery, a successful yet closeted actor who strikes up a complicated relationship with Jana Kramer's Alex Dupre.

Bethany Joy Lenz, who starred on One Tree Hill throughout its nine-season run, shared her memories of working with Teal in front of and behind the camera in a heartfelt Instagram post. "I was giddy to be directing an episode of One Tree Hill where I'd get to cast a new recurring character, Josh - the sleazy movie star," she wrote. "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."

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Lenz recalled that she previously "worked closely with Paul for months when he played Noah in my and [Ron Aniello's] musical production of The Notebook in 2006. He was shy and funny and so so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin. You couldn't take your eyes off him."

After their One Tree Hill experience, Lenz said she and Teal "stayed in touch on and off. I wish it had been more. I wish I'd called all those times I meant to but got distracted. Life is short. I keep thinking that this week. Life is short."

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Lenz shared a video of Teal as his Notebook character singing the song "Sunday Train," finally writing, "I'll miss you, Paul. Thank you for sharing your light with us."