Characters / One Tree Hill Recurring Characters Early Seasons

Principal Aaron Turner

Principal Aaron Turner (Portrayed by Shawn Shepard)

• Last-Name Basis: Always called by his last name.
• Perma-Stubble: In the first 4 seasons. He's clean shaven by the time of Season 5.
• Put on a Bus: In early Season 5.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: As a principal. Even after Brooke admits to stealing an exam, he lets her graduate because she was going into fashion & not a field where calculus would be important.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Always in a nice suit.
• Token Minority: Unlike most characters, he's black.

Jake Jagielski

Jake Jagielski (Portayed by Bryan Greenberg)

• Alliterative Name: Jake Jagielski
• The Bus Came Back: Halfway through Season 2, before getting back on the bus again at the end of the season. He made another last return during Season 3 for 3 episodes.
• Cleaning Up Romantic Loose Ends: His return in Season 3 is for no other reason than to make it clear that Peyton is in love with Lucas.
• The Generic Guy: Whilst the other characters all have their quirks, Jake is really just there to give Lucas an ally on the basketball team & serve as a Romantic False Lead for Peyton, with no real characterization beyond the fact that he's a nice guy who happens to have a daughter.
• Good Parents: For his baby daughter Jenny.
• Lovable Jock: In season 1, when he was a player for the Ravens. The only one in the team actually, since he was surrounded by Jerk Jocks.
• Nice Guy: He's the only one in the team who didn't steal a school bus in the pilot, or go along with Nathan's "hazing" of Lucas after he joined the Ravens.
• Only Sane Man: In the basketball team. Also when he's around his bitchy ex-girlfriend Nicki.
• Put on a Bus: At the end of Season 1 and again at the end of Season 2.
• Romantic False Lead: Begins a relationship with Peyton in Season 2, however by the end of Season 3 it's clear that Jake was never more than a replacement for Lucas.
• Second Episode Introduction: In a way - whilst Jake is named in the Pilot & appears briefly, he isn't properly introduced until the following episode.
• Token Good Teammate: Especially in season 1 where Nathan and most of the Raven were still Grade A Jerk Jocks.

Junk and Fergie

Ferguson "Fergie" Thompson and John "Junk" Moretti (Portrayed by Vaughn Wilson and Cullen Moss)

• Demoted to Extra: Whilst never prominent characters, Junk and Fergie was given stuff to do during Seasons 1 & 2. By Season 9, he had been reduced to background character.
• Flat Character: They have no real role in the story. They are just...there. Save for a random episode in Season 7 where they babysit Jamie, and their frequent appearances on Mouth and Skills' couch playing video games, what real contribution did they have to the show? This is ultimately lampshaded during the cast of the movie adaptation of Lucas' book, as it's revealed that in order to streamline the cast for the film, Junk & Fergie's characters have been cut.
• Girlfriend in Canada: Junk claims to have one in response to Skills' "Four years of high school. Zero girlfriends for Junk and Fergie" comment in the fourth season finale.
• Hidden Depths: Junk calls a crisis hotline during season 8, and admits that he's displeased with his life due to it seemingly going nowhere.
• In-Series Nickname: Fergilicious for Fergie. Only he refers to himself with that, though.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: No one ever calls Junk by his real name, John. Fergie is called "Ferguson" twice during the course of the show - once whilst teasing Lucas over forgetting his roots after not coming down to the River Court for a while, and when his name is called out during graduation.
• Satellite Characters: To Lucas, Mouth and Skills. Which is really saying something since Skills is kind of a Satellite Character himself.
• Those Two Guys: Almost always appear together. In the Season 4 finale, there's a shot of the 12 graduating seniors paired up - Lucas & Peyton, Nathan & Haley, Brooke & Chase, Rachel & Mouth, Bevin & Skills, and... Junk & Fergie. Likewise, at Lucas & Peyton's wedding, there's a brief series of shots showing the various couples who aren't married; namely Mia & Chase, Mouth & Millie, Skills & Lauren, and again, Junk & Fergie.

Tim Smith

Tim Smith (Portrayed by Brett Claywell)

• Ambiguously Bi: He likes girls (he married Bevin in the the four-year jump) but he also seems way too devoted to Nathan.
• Ascended Extra: Was originally there to serve as Nathan's friend on the Ravens. After Jake was put on a bus, Tim rose in prominence.
• Book Dumb: He departed the school mid way through his senior year to go to a special school for "slower students".
• Bumbling Sidekick: To Nathan in the first episodes.
• The Bus Came Back: In a rare subversion of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, Tim returned in Episode 5x09, "For Tonight You're Only Here To Know"
• Butt-Monkey: He's often made fun of for his stupidity.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears without explanation midway through Season 3; It's revealed a full season later that he'd transferred out of Tree Hill High.
• Dumb Jock: Like his friend Nathan, he was in the Tree Hill High basketball team, and unlike the other well known jocks on the show, he plays the trope very straight.
• The Lancer: To Nathan.
• Phrase Catcher: "Just say [Whatever Tim just said, but straight forward], Tim."
• Plucky Comic Relief: After Nathan married Haley, this becomes Tim's main role in each of his appearances.
• Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Much to Nathan' irritation.
• Third Wheel: As Nathan becomes closer to Haley & Lucas, Tim starts to become this.

Jimmy Edwards

Jimmy Edwards (Portrayed by Colin Fickes)

• A Death in the Limelight: Jimmy only appears in two episodes before season 3...And then there's "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept", hands down the most tragic and tear-jerking episode of the entire show. Out of all people who died during the show, Jimmy's death is probably the most shocking one (tied with Keith's death, from the same episode).
• All of the Other Reindeer: With terrible and tragic consequences. The reasons why Jimmy starts hating school, feeling ignored by everyone, even Mouth and his other close friends.
• Back for the Dead: When his character come back in season 3.
• The Bus Came Back: In Episode 3x15, "Just Watch The Fireworks"
• Chekhov's Gunman: Disappearing after the first two episodes in season 1, he made a huge impact to the show's story upon his return in season 3. As an actual guman, no less.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears without explanation after the first two episodes. Deconstructed in season 3, as Jimmy became very bitter over being abandonned by his friends from the River Court, and began hating the entirety of the Tree Hill High student body because they didn't notice when he accidentally overdosed & was missing from school for several weeks.
• Driven to Suicide: Upon seeing the unconcious & bleeding out Peyton, Jimmy loses all hope that things could get better & puts his gun to his chest before pulling the trigger.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted, After his death in Episode 3x16, Jimmy is referred to repeatedly over the following six seasons, his death greatly affecting Mouth.
• Go Mad from the Revelation: The release of the time capsule pretty much caused his rampage.
• Mistaken for Murderer: After his death, nonetheless. As seen below, everyone thought Jimmy killed Keith, before committing suicide.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Only appears in four episodes, but saying he has a big impact on the show is an understatement. After his death, he's still repeatedly mentioned by Mouth or other characters even in later seasons.
• Sympathetic Murderer: Not really. But after the school shooting he was considered this way by most people when they still didn't know that Dan, not Jimmy, was the one who killed Keith.
• Took a Level in Cynic: It's easy to distinguish this if you compare his appearances in seasons 1 and his character in season 3.
• Walking Spoiler: Jimmy's A Day in the Limelight episode is the most important and shocking episode of the show. Everything about it is a spoiler.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Jimmy brought a gun to school and held some students hostage. Just watch the episode and try not to cry or feel bad for him. And there's the Downer Ending...

Larry Sawyer

Larry Sawyer (Portrayed by Thomas Ian Grffin & Kevin Kilner)

• Disappeared Dad: Due to his work as a fisherman, Larry spends a large chunk of his time at sea & away from Peyton.
• Long Bus Trip: Doesn't appear at all during the second season, and isn't seen again after the third season - despite his daughter suffering from PTSD after being stalked by Psycho!Derek, graduating from high school, getting married, having a daughter & nearly dying in the birth, even though Larry's job as captain of a dredging vessel means he could have popped back up at any time.
• Papa Wolf: To Peyton, largely due to work meaning he's away for large periods of time & the death of his wife when Peyton was a little girl.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Trusts his teenaged daughter to take of herself whilst he's away at sea, and allows Brooke to move in during season 3.
• Shipper on Deck: During the first season, he's very much aware of his daughter's attraction to Lucas, and at one point invites him to join them whilst he was having dinner with Peyton at Karen's Cafe, even justifying his actions as "Taking care of my little girl."
• The Lost Lenore: His late-wife, Anna.

Nicki

Nicki (Portrayed by Emmanuelle Vaugier)

• Determinator: Nicki is a villainous example, when it comes to her daughter, Jenny.
• Jerkass: Justified as she's an antagonist. Nicki was the resident bitch, before Rachel was introduced in season 3.

• Only One Name: As far as we know, she only goes by Nicki.
• Parental Abandonment: She abandoned her daughter Jenny for the first 8 months of her life. She eventually regretted it.
• Put on a Bus: Twice, in Season 1 and then in Season 2.
• Teen Pregnancy: The mother of Jake's daughter Jenny.

Jimmy James

Jimmy James (Portrayed by Huey Lewis)

• Alliterative Name: Jimmy James
• Bus Crash: Is stated to have died during season 7, but it's unclear when this happened - the most likely answer is during one of the time skips between seasons 4 & 5 or 6 & 7.
• Doting Parent: Like Lydia, he was a loving parent to all his children.

• Repetitive Name: James "Jimmy" James.
• Two First Names: His Repetitive Name, James and James.

Lydia James

Lydia James (Portrayed by Bess Armstrong)

• The Bus Came Back: In 7X16 "My Attendance Is Bad, But My Intentions Are Good''.

• Doting Parent: Like James, she was a loving parent to all her children.

• Two First Names: Lydia and James.

Bevin Mirskey

Bevin Mirskey (Portayed by Bevin Prince)

• Ascended Extra: If you look closely in Season 1, you can see Bevin in various scenes as an unnamed extra.
• Back for the Finale: Having not appeared since Season 5, she returns in the Grand Finale working in the Courthouse when Clay & Quinn go to sign the adoption papers for Logan. She also appears after the final Time Skip, the show implying that she's reunited with Skills.
• Beta Couple: With Skills.
• Brainless Beauty: A pretty and dumb cheerleader.
• The Bus Came Back: In the Series Finale.
  Bevin: I Brooke myself all the time, too.
• The Ditz: Or so it seems. After the season 4 Time Skip, she married the equally stupid Tim Smith.
• Dumb Blonde: It wouldn't be a teen show with cheerleaders without one.
• Innocent Beta Bitch: She's a clueless friend of Alpha Bitch Rachel, but is much less malicious and easily manipulated by her.
• Last Minute Hook Up: It is implied that she and Skills are reunited in the Series Finale.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: In "Pictures of You" she reveals that she only acts dumb for people to rely on her in that way.
• Offscreen Breakup: With Skills in season 5, and with Tim between seasons 5 & 9.
• Pom-Pom Girl: She was a cheerleader at Tree Hill High School. The "cute but dumb" type of cheerleader, although she wasn't slutty or mean.
• Popular Is Dumb: As seen above, she's not as stupid as she seems, but lets the other girls believe it for this reason.
• Recurring Character: She made appearances from season 2 to season 5.

Felix Tagarro

Felix Tagarro (Portrayed by Michael Copon)

• Big Brother Instinct: Towards Anna initially, when he believed that her bisexuality was only a rumor. He changed his mind anyway after her Coming-Out Story.
• Dirty Coward: In a fight with Lucas, Felix drops to the ground after one punch, purely so that he can jump Lucas from behind.
• Friends with Benefits: With Brooke for most of Season 2.
• Jerkass: A big one, but All Girls Want Bad Boys and Brooke dated him for a while, until his Moral Event Horizon.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: He was homophobic.
• Put on a Bus: In Episode 2x17, "Something I Can Never Have"
• The Rival: To Lucas. Both were interested in Brooke, and Lucas was also dating Felix's sister Anna.
• Spear Counterpart: Initially introduced as one to Brooke, which is lampshaded by Peyton.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Played by Michael Copon who is dark-haired and very tall.

Anna Tagarro

Anna Tagarro (Portrayed by Daniella Alonso)

• Better as Friends: With Lucas; they dated for a while, but he broke up with her to be with Brooke. She was mad at him for a while, but they patched up and remained friends. He even became the first person she confessed to being bi about.

• Coming-Out Story: When she discovers that Felix wrote ‘dyke’ on Peyton's locker she turns him in getting him expelled. She comes out to him and states how hurt she is by his use of the word.
• Gayngst: She suffers from this somewhat, mostly due to her brother Felix's disapproval. She eventually comes to terms with her bisexuality.
• Put on a Bus: In Episode 2x18, "The Lonesome Road", she comes back to her old school.
• Spicy Latina: She's a sexy Latina girl, and gets pretty Hot-Blooded when provoked.
• Twofer Token Minority: The first recurring bisexual character of color on television.

Andy Hargrove

Andy Hargrove (Portrayed by Kieren Hutchinson)

• Hot Teacher: Initially he was an attractive teacher at Karen's college.
• Last Girl Wins: But he'd give it up if it meant the First Guy was still alive & got to meet his daughter.
• Nice Guy: A very decent guy, and really in love with Karen.

• You Never Asked: After being told that Karen had a son, Andy thought Lucas was a little kid. He then found out that the guy he was talking with at Tric's bar was her son.

Taylor James

Taylor James (Portrayed by Lindsey McKeon)

• Aloof Big Brother: At her worst. She cares about her sisters deep down.
• Black Sheep: To the Jameses. Taylor is seen as the failure of the family, and an underachiever and she soon developed a reputation among the family as being an irrational, promiscuous screw-up.

• Expository Hairstyle Change: A blonde in season 2, Aloof Dark-Haired Girl in season 7.

• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She shows this when her mother Lydia dies in season 7.
• Massive Numbered Siblings: She has three sisters and three brothers.
• Ms. Fanservice: Very attractive and seductive, spends a lot of her screentime in season two in robes or in her underwear.
• Parental Abandonment: Her father died between the seasons 4 and 5 Time Skip while her mother died in season 7.
• The Prankster: During her childhood she and Quinn used to pull a lot of pranks on Haley.
  Quinn: Remember when Haley had her first period!? You convinced her that she was dying!
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: In season 7.
• Really Gets Around: She was known for being promiscuous and sleeping with many men.
• Sibling Triangle:
  • Played with. She is the girl Nathan lost his virginity to. Nathan is of course married to Haley and Taylor crashes at their house at a delicate point in their marriage, and flirts with Nathan a lot during it. In the end, she helped Nathan realize he still loved her after Haley left to go on a tour.
  • When she returned in season 7, she is seen dating Quinn's ex-husband David.
• The Tease: Acts like this constantly, flirting with Nathan during her stay at his and Haley house and wrote "Lucas - you know you want me" in his Freshmen yearbook.
• Tomboyish Name: Though "Taylor" can be both male or female
• Two First Names: Taylor and James.
• The Unfavorite: Being the most rebellious James daughter and the Black Sheep of the family.

Jules

Emily "Jules" Chambers (Portrayed by Maria Menounos)

• Becoming the Mask: Was hired to seduce Keith, but ended up falling for him for real.
• Healthcare Motivation: The reason she took Dan's job of seducing his brother is that Dan promised to pay off her expensive hospital bills.
• Honey Trap: Was hired by Dan in order to seduce Keith and then "break his heart" as revenge for Keith sleeping with Deb.
• Runaway Bride: Left Keith at the altar after she was exposed. He managed to track her down offscreen in season 3 and they briefly re-started the relationship, but it didn't work out.

Cooper Lee

Cooper Lee (Portrayed by Michael Trucco)

• Cool Uncle: Because he was roughly 12 when he became an Uncle, his relationship with Nathan comes off more like an older brother & significantly younger brother. He even makes an effort to have a relationship with Lucas, who actually isn't related to him in any way.
• Go Mad from the Revelation: Upon learning that Rachel used The Baby Trap on him, he became extremely pissed.
• May–December Romance: Has one with Rachel, before finding out her real age. He calls it off after that.
• Mr. Fanservice: Nicknamed by Brooke "Hot Uncle Cooper". He gets a Shirtless Scene at some point.
• Put on a Bus: In early Season 4, after recovering from the limo crash.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He also qualifies as Tall, Dark, and Snarky.
• Two First Names: "Cooper" and "Lee".

Elizabeth "Ellie" Harp

Elizabeth "Ellie" Harp (Portrayed by Sheryl Lee)

• Drugs Are Bad: She was a cocaine addict when she got pregnant with Peyton.
• Dying Alone: Peyton found Ellie dead on her bed.
• Last Episode, New Character: Shows up for the first time in the last episode in season 2.

• Retirony: Died around the time when she just started a relationship with her abandoned daughter.

Gigi Silveri

Gigi Silveri (Portrayed by Kelsey Chow)

• All Women Are Lustful: "Gigi Silveri, ladies & gentlemen." She's often seen Eating the Eye Candy, especially with Mouth.

• Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Millie's Betty for Mouth' Archie.
• The Bus Came Back: In season 6, Gigi reappears when she gains an internship at the news station where Mouth is her supervisor.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Somewhat, with her random comments during the games when announcing with Mouth.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: A rare female example, surprisingly combined with The Cutie, and it still works.
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: To Mouth in season 3 and 4. In season 6 she's there to try to cause drama between him and Millie.
• Sexy Shirt Switch: After getting drunk and puking all over herself, she wakes up the next morning wearing Mouth's shirt. Gigi teases him about it the morning after and Millie immediately assumes this trope happened when she catches her wearing it.
• Shameless Fanservice Girl: When returning Mouth's shirt she takes it off right in front of him, revealing she's not wearing anything underneath.
• Really Gets Around: States as much during season 6, when she returns as Mouth's intern.

• The Tease: She seems to enjoy pushing Mouths buttons by constantly hitting on him, even when they're not dating anymore.

Abby Brown

Abby Brown (Portrayed by Allison Scagliotti)

• Chekhov's Gunman: She was the hostage spared by Jimmy and ultimately witnessed Dan's murder of Keith. She told Lucas about it the following season.
• Disappeared Dad: She only lives with her mother.

Glenda Farrell

Glenda Farrell (Portrayed by Amber Wallace)

• Darker and Edgier: Is first introduced during the school shooting, as just a normal girl. When she reappears in season 4, she's become a goth.
• I Resemble That Remark!: When Peyton protests that she's a loner & not a prom queen during a Social Studies class, Glenda points that she's a loner whilst Peyton's a cheerleader dating one of the stars of the basketball team.
• Secret-Keeper: Is the first person Lucas tells about his novel.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Her mother was one of "the pretty & the popular" and is disappointed that Glenda isn't.

Shelly Simon

Shelly Simon (Portayed by Elisabeth Harnois)

• Alliterative Name: Shelly Simon
• Celibate Hero: Formed Clean Teens, a group that vowed to remain "Virgins for life".
• Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Averted. It's revealed that the reason she's so insistent that Brooke keep her baby was that Shelly hadn't done the same & regrets the decision.
• Insistent Terminology: Insists that she's a "born again virgin" after Brooke calls her out on leading a celibacy group when she isn't even a virgin.

Ian "Psycho Derek" Banks

Ian "Psycho!Derek" Banks (Portrayed by Matt Barr)

• Ambiguous Situation: It remains unclear how much of what he told Peyton about himself was actually the truth, and how much was a fabrication to get closer to her.
• Attempted Rape: Tried to pull this on Peyton twice.
• Brother–Sister Incest: Subverted. He pretends to be Peyton's brother just to get close to her. Once she learns the truth, he decides to stop holding back on his lust for her.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Remember WATCHMEWATCHYOU? He sent it to Peyton.
• Freudian Excuse: He felt guilty and was very devastated for his girlfriend's death when they were both involved in a car accident. He was obsessed with Peyton because she apparently was very similar to Maggie, his dead girlfriend.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Envious of Peyton's close relationship with Lucas.
• In-Series Nickname: "Psycho Derek".
• The Lost Lenore: See Freudian Excuse.

• Love Makes You Evil: He starts stalking Peyton after his girlfriend's death. See Freudian Excuse.
• Made of Iron: During his first Attempted Rape of Peyton, he manages to subdue Lucas and the real Derek (An actual member of the Marine Corps.) in short order, before the two of them throw him through Peyton's first-floor bedroom window. And he still manages to recover enough that he's able to flee before the police arrive.
• Never My Fault: He fails to acknowledge that he's in prison because of what he had done to Peyton and her friends. Instead, he blames her and claims that she's nothing more than a tease with everything she does.
• Stalker with a Crush: For Peyton. His wall of Peyton photos is proof of it.
• Would Hit a Girl: He hit both Peyton & Brooke, and stabbed a prostitute.
• Yandere: Perfectly willing and capable of killing anyone in his way for Peyton’s affections. He was even willing to pretend being Peyton’s long lost brother just so he would be closer to her.

Derek Sommers

Derek Sommers ''(Portrayed by Ernest Waddell)

• Badass in a Nice Suit: A member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Sometimes he wears his dress uniform.
• Big Brother Instinct: Towards Peyton, eventually.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Starts off not wanting to have anything to do with his sister, but gradually comes to have a loving relationship with her.
• Limited Wardrobe: Is only ever seen in his military fatigues or his dress uniform.
• Parental Abandonment: His biological father abandoned his mother for Ellie Harp.
• Shipper on Deck: For Lucas & Peyton. It's ultimately his encouragement that leads to Peyton admitting her feelings.

Daunte Jones

Daunte Jones (Portrayed by Rick Fox)

• Asshole Victim: Died when he lost control of his speeding car and crashed into a construction site.
• Fallen Hero: He's a former Tree Hill Raven.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Died in a car crash immediately after he tried to run over Nathan but instead hit Haley.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: He was a loan shark.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Always wears a full suit.
• Starter Villain: In season 4.
• Smug Snake: To the point that he plays this to Dan Scott of all people.
• Would Hit a Girl: Unintentional, as Haley pushed Nathan out of Daunte's speeding car.

Lily Roe Scott

Lily Roe Scott (Portrayed by Mary Kate Englehardt)

• The Bus Came Back: Episode 5x12 "Hundred".
• Disappeared Dad: Her father Keith died before she was born.
• Insistent Terminology: Argues that Jamie has to call her Aunt Lily^note Technically, she's not his aunt anyway - whilst Lucas & Nathan are half-brothers, she's only Nathan's cousin & subsequently isn't Jamie's aunt.
• Meaningful Name: Is named Lily after Keith's spirit visits Karen in her coma, and a spirit version of their daughter is happily playing in a bed of lillies.
• Someone to Remember Him By: Keith and Karen's child born after the former's death.
• Tangled Family Tree: Big brother Lucas is also her cousin.
• Walking the Earth: With her mother & Andy after the Time Skip.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Born in the penultimate episode of Season 4; After the 4-year Time Skip, she appears in a total of two episodes - 5x12 & 5x13 - and is rarely mentioned.