Chad Michael Murray Gifts “Today” Hosts Candle from His New Line, Tells Craig Melvin He Has Competition

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• Chad Michael Murray has launched his new candle line, Coast to Coast, with its first scent, California Summer

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• Murray announced the new line during an appearance on the Today show, and gifted the hosts their own candle

• The hand-poured candle features notes like fennel, amber, and sandalwood and is priced at $65

• Today’s Craig Melvin also recently introduced his own candle line that benefits cancer charities

Chad Michael Murray is introducing his new line of candles — and sparking some friendly competition with a fellow celebrity brand.

In a Monday, May 4, appearance on the Today show, the actor, 44, gifted hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer, and Al Roker with a special gift from his new line of candles.

“I hear that you’re in the candle business, so now we’ve got a little bit of a thing going here,” Murray joked to Melvin, 46. “You guys would be the first people to receive this, I have my own line of candles coming.”

Melvin also launched a line of candles, Melvin Made, in 2025, with proceeds benefiting an array of cancer charities. “This is one of those hobbies that turned into a passion for me and my family because everyone’s affected by cancer,” Melvin told PEOPLE at the time.

Murray’s line, Coast to Coast by Chad Michael Murray, launches today with its first scent, California Summer. The candle’s name is a nod to California Jones, Murray’s character in Sullivan’s Crossing.

Hand-poured in California, the 12-ounce California Summer candle has top notes of fennel, cardamom, and ginger, middle notes of amber, cedar, and lavender, and a base of sandalwood and musk. Priced at $65, a limited number of the candles will arrive personally autographed by Murray.

“Each is a little bit different because it’s an homage to something,” Murray said of his candles. “I chop a lot of wood on Sullivan’s Crossing, so I thought that was a little fun.”

“They can transport you. So when I get off of a plane in Wilmington, North Carolina, the smell of azaleas makes me go right back to One Tree Hill playing on the river court,” said Murray, who starred in the CW drama from 2004 to 2009. “And this right here reminds me of the summers in Nova Scotia shooting Sullivan’s Crossing.”

The A Cinderella Story actor spoke about the inspiration behind the brand in an Instagram post on Monday.

“This is a passion project of mine that mixes memories, lifestyle and adventure. For me, scents act like a time machine,” Murray said. “I’ve always been a candle guy, but now, I’m able to share the scents and memories I’ve made with you all. California Summer is our first of many scents that will transport you to incredible moments in your life or be a part of rad new ones.”

Murray returns as California Jones in the fourth season of Sullivan’s Crossing, a romantic drama about a neurosurgeon who returns to her Canadian hometown after a scandal, airing now on the CW.

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Known for his iconic roles in 2000s films and series like Dawson’s Creek, Freaky Friday, and A Cinderella Story, Murray told PEOPLE in 2025 that he “prayed every single night” for a project like Sullivan’s Crossing.

“I wanted a show that didn’t feel gratuitous, that was very family-friendly, that ended up in a very beautiful location where my family and I felt like we could integrate into the community … with a cast that we’d all get along and everyone would bond,” he said.

“It was a very specific, very detailed prayer … and then came Sullivan’s Crossing, and here we are going into season 4.”

Read the original article on People