Student hits the big time with supporting role on TV’s One Tree Hill

Come next fall, certain members of the Eastern community may end up seeing a lot more of junior Steve Barber.

After a few auditions, Barber landed himself a significant role on the WB television show One Tree Hill.

“It’s a huge dream of mine,” Barber said. “Thanks be to God it’s coming true.”

Barber’s role in One Tree Hill will be his first big role, and it took a fair amount of work for him to get it.

“[Auditioning] is not as easy as it looks,” he argued. “I suffer from severe stage fright. You wouldn’t guess it, but I do.”

Barber was among a pool of three hundred people who were trying out for the part.

“They called me back and said I made it to the top ten,” Barber said, “and they called me back again and said I made it to the top two… Chad Michael Murray [the star of One Tree Hill] was the one who came out and said, ‘Congratulations, you got the part.'”

According to Barber, his character will appear in 15 episodes over two seasons. His character, still unnamed, will be a friend of the Scott family’s new neighbors. His parents will be getting divorced, and he will be living with the new neighbors while he deals with it. Barber will begin shooting in September.

While Barber said that he has always wanted to be an actor, he only really got started last year when a friend told him that the movie Invincible was looking for extras. In addition to getting the extra part in the movie, Barber met his agent while auditioning for it.

Since then, Barber has gotten walk-on roles in such upcoming films as Rocky 6 and Lady in the Water, the new film by M. Night Shyamalan. Barber also does stand-up comedy on the weekends.

“I love to make people smile and laugh,” Barber said.

He credits his family, friends and God for helping him to get where he is. He said that he is particularly grateful to his acting teacher, Deborah Bradshaw, who helped him with his stage fright by telling him this quote: “I am my own block.”

“I’m the reason I’m scared. If I get over myself, I’ll be fine,” Barber explained.

Barber does plan on finishing his degree at Eastern, which he will be able to do while filming the show. After graduation, though, he plans on moving to Los Angeles and pursuing an acting career.

“I’m majoring in history,” Barber said, “so if I don’t succeed I’ll be a history teacher. But as far as Hollywood goes, in five years I plan on kissing Halle Berry while accepting my Oscar.”

One Tree Hill can be seen Wednesday nights at 8 on the WB.