Lee Norris as Mouth McFadden on OTH
Of all the characters on the CW’s One Tree Hill that have come and gone over the years, it’s arguable that the character of Marvin “Mouth” McFadden (played by Lee Norris) is the most endearing. Whether he spent his time crushing for Brooke (Sophia Bush), facing the challenges of a shaky job market or dealing with his own dramatic twists and turns in his own relationships, Mouth is easily one of the more relatable characters in the teen soap’s ensemble. To find out how it’s been to play Mouth since the show began in 2003, I talked to Norris about the layers yet to be peeled back, filming in North Carolina (where he’s from) and how the cast has adjusted with the departures of Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton.
Jim Halterman: Back in the beginning, Mouth was more on the outside and eventually eased his way into the core group. How did that come about?
Lee Norris: I think it was a combination of things. Mouth started out as a sideline character and I think Mark Schwahn, our creator and Executive Producer, thought it was an interesting character to bring into the fold. We had a lot of jocks and popular people on the show and in the universe of high school not everyone is the most popular or one of the great looking people. There were a lot of kids out there who we were trying to reach and they thought Mouth offered a different perspective. He wasn’t a one-dimensional geek, you know? You can be a floater that floats between groups and I like to think of Mouth as a floater. Certainly over time he’s gotten deeper into the fold but I’d like to think they like me, too. [laughs]
Lee Norris and Sophia Bush as Mouth and Brooke in ONE TREE HILL
JH: What’s so endearing about Mouth is that he wears his heart on his sleeve but do you think there are more layers yet to be uncovered?
LN: I think so. I think he’s more complex based on his relationship. Obviously, he’s in the longest, most serious relationship he’s had with Millicent (played by Lisa Goldstein) and she’s starting to go down a path of her own and it’s going to be a challenge for Mouth to see what he’s made of with what’s coming his way. He’s dealing with unemployment right now since he lost his job. I definitely think there are always layers there. I’ve been surprised at the layers over the years. He’s done some things that I never, ever expected him to do. Something is not so good inside but they have to be there because this is a television show and not everyone can be perfect, not even the nice guy.
Lisa Goldstein and Norris as Millicent and Mouth
JH: You must have been happy when Mouth started to have his own love life instead of just pining for Brooke.
LN: Yeah, obviously the more complex the character is and the more of a challenge it is as an actor. I’m a One Tree Hill purest. I love the old days of the show and I certainly like the fact that Mouth started out where he did and got bigger because I think he’s more interesting that way than being someone who was thrown at you all at once.
JH: How has it been without Chad and Hilarie around? Is there a different dynamic in the cast and how have you all adjusted?
LN: Obviously, we miss Chad and Hil. Anytime you work with someone for six years it’s always bittersweet to say goodbye but I think at its core One Tree Hill is an ensemble show and there’s plenty of us old timers left to pick up the slack. There are still interesting stories to be told about those characters. Obviously there are challenges that we face this year and I think the writers have really tried to balance the fresh new faces with the characters that everyone is comfortable with and I think they’ve done a good job with it. You know, Rob Buckley’s character [Clay] has made the revelation that you find out he’s been married previously and his wife died tragically. I thought that was a really smart way to introduce a character like that because you automatically feel for him and certainly he has a big presence in Nathan and Haley’s life since they’re a big fixture on the show. So, we’re bittersweet that we miss those guys but we’re excited for all of our fans who are still out there supporting us.
JH: Do you miss the theme song? I have always kind of missed that Gavin DeGraw song [“I Don’t Want to Be”] from the first few seasons.
LN: Yeah, I do. Gavin’s a friend of mine and I’m a big fan of his music and I do miss that. It’s just another example of the show growing up a little bit. I don’t know. Did you see the episode where they brought Gavin back and he played the theme song with Haley?
JH: I did! I loved that!
LN: I thought it was a pretty neat little homage to the past and brought us to the present with the show.
JH: I recently did an event at the Paley Center with the Dawson’s Creek cast, who also filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina and they had nothing but great things to say. Are you glad to be shooting there instead of a soundstage in Los Angeles?
LN: You know, I love North Carolina and I’m sure I’d echo everything you probably heard [at the Paley Center}. It’s a beautiful town and the people are extremely supportive and it’s good business for the economy here. They’re fans of the show and it’s really nice to work in the entertainment industry but not be surrounded by paparazzi and some of the more negative things that can be associated with the work. Here, we just do our job and we go wherever we want to and it’s a nice way to work. I’m really happy and obviously I’m biased. In fact, James Van Der Beek was just back on the show and he said how excited he was and how he missed Wilmington.
JH: How do you typically spend your hiatus from the show?
LN: It depends. In some years I’ve been able to do some projects. I worked on a film called Zodiac. I did an indie film two summers ago here in North Carolina and that was a lot of fun. But this past summer there wasn’t as much work going on so I went to New York and I just wanted to explore up there a little bit so it was a little bit of work and play.
One Tree Hill airs every Monday night at 8/7c on the CW network.
Jim Halterman spends his days interviewing the top tier of talent and creative forces in the television world and then, because he's that kind of guy, he brings it all to YOU! And, because we all like free stuff, check back often for giveaways!! 
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Lee is amazing! Thanks for the interview… his answers were very thoughtful.