Barbara Alyn Woods says that a One Tree Hill reunion may not be completely out of the cards for the old and new fans of the hit show.
Talking with 360aproko Hope Sloop from a Television Critics Association event on Wednesday, the 61-year-old actress opened up about how her OTH “family” has been maintaining their relationship for years and why she would be “surprised” if no future projects came from the show’s recent streaming renaissance.
“We all kept in touch — unlike other shows where they say ‘We’re family, we’re going to keep in touch,’ we actually have,” Woods told 360aproko.
One Tree Hill ran on The CW and the WB from 2003 to 2012 and included an all-star cast, including Sophia Bush, Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz. During its nearly decade-long run, the show amassed more than 180 episodes.
Woods said its the closeness of the cast to this day — 12 years from the series finale and 21 years from the premiere — as well the resurgence of the drama, that could be to thank if and when the cast is brought back for a spinoff or a series.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but if there wasn’t some sort of like spinoff or something, I would be so surprised,” the Chucky star extemporized. “Because we’re all on board, we’re all friends, it would be the most fun show anybody has ever been on.”
She added that as the show continues to find a new audience through Netflix, Hulu and other online platforms, the cast feels the pressure to deliver to both the old and new fans and reciprocate the love they feel even now.
“I feel very fortunate. Not only has the show had this major resurgence – I actually think it’s bigger now than it was when it aired,” the actress said. “We just need to keep going, this thing is not going to die.”
For her, the beloved show has even more significance as it was also the set where her three daughters — Alyvia Alyn Lind, Natalie Alyn Lind and Emily Alyn Lind — experienced some of life’s biggest moments. The proud mom says that more than a decade out from the finale, it still warms her heart to see her former costars checking in on her girls and keeping the dialogue open with the next generation of Hollywood as all three have followed in her footsteps.
“Oh, they know my kids — because they grew up on set. I actually had Aly duringOne Tree Hill,” she said of her youngest, Alyvia, who is currently starring alongside her on Peacock’s Chucky.
For the mother and daughter, the horror series is an opportunity to portray a relationship they know all too well, this time on the small screen as Lexy Cross (Alyvia) and Michelle Cross (Woods).
Chucky returns to the NBC-owned streaming platform on April 10 for season 3 part 2.
Woods said she could not be prouder of all three of her daughters who have taken their careers in stride and gone after major television shows and movies like The Gifted and The Goldbergs for Natalie and the Gossip Girl reboot and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire for Emily.
In fact, when asked about who she would bring on as guest stars for a One Tree Hillspinoff, she excitedly said she had three people top of mind to fill out the cast.
“I’m just saying this — this is such a cliché thing to say, but I would love for all three of my girls to be on the show,” she said.
As for where exactly her One Tree Hillcharacter, Deb Scott — and in later seasons Deb Lee — would be today, Woods has a pretty good idea of what the mom of Nathan Scott would be getting herself into.
“I’m dating young guys, I’m not married, you know, I’m just getting in trouble – I’ve gotten the drinking under control,” she joked, referencing Deb’s alcoholism arc, spawned by how her on-screen husband, Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), would bully their son, Nathan Scott (Lafferty). “That’s what I love about her so much, she just is like – you just never know what’s going to happen next.”
