Chad Michael Murray Reveals Why He’s Surprised by This Feedback He Gets From Gilmore Girls Fans

Chad Michael Murray has learned that where his Gilmore Girls character leads, the show’s fans will follow.

The 39-year-old One Tree Hill alum spoke to Today on Wednesday, July 7, where he reminisced about his time as Tristin, the devil-may-care classmate of Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) at Chilton Prep School on the fondly remembered series.

The actor recurred on Gilmore Girls‘ first two seasons, and while his character is perhaps best remembered for referring to Rory as “Mary” in a smarmy manner, Chad revealed that fans somehow have nothing but favorable impressions of Tristin.

“One response I always get about Tristin is how much they love him,” he shared. “They really do. I’ve never had anyone come up to me and say—which you would think I would receive all the time—no one has ever come up to me and said, ‘Tristin was a jerk. Why did you call her Mary?’ It never happened.”