Christmas came early for fans of Hollywood star Chad Michael Murray, 43. On November 14, the “One Tree Hill” actor collaborated with Netflix to gift his followers glimpses of a recent photoshoot he posed for six days before the release of his festive film “The Merry Gentlemen.” Although some were left parched from the heat he brought, others were not too impressed.

In a video that was featured first in the Instagram carousel showcasing Murray’s pictures, the “A Cinderella Story” talent set the tone for what netizens were about to see.

Donning a chic pinstriped suit and white top, Murray explained, “So, listen, I may have the perfect white elephant gift for your holiday party. Check out my 2025 calendar.”

Following the video was a photo of Murray for January, where he posed shirtless against a sparkly golden backdrop, showing off his incredibly toned physique.

The 43-year-old actor sported an undone bowtie, a satin waistband, and formal black pants. Additionally, he positioned a top hat between his right bicep and fingers.

For March, Murray wore green shorts and a matching bowtie. In the same way that he held his top hat for the January image, he held up a basketball with his right bicep and placed his other hand on his hip.

Next came the image for April. Murray donned gray sweatpants as he stood in the center of an Easter-inspired set. He completed his look with Easter bunny ears and a furry bowtie.

His photo for May depicted him posing with a beautiful bouquet of red roses as he stared intensely at the camera, donning only an unbuttoned pair of blue jeans.

For the next month (July), Murray looked very patriotic, donning the American flag over his shoulders as he looked at something outside the camera’s view with a wide grin.

August’s image showed Murray in red pants. He held a colorfully decorated celebration cake and posed with a party horn blower in his mouth.

The next photo depicted Murray posing as a footballer for September. Adding to the themed look, he carried a helmet and a football, and put a black stripe underneath one of his eyes.

November’s picture saw Murray holding a delicious-looking turkey in one hand and a turkey baster in the other, as he posed in front of a kitchen backdrop.

“on the first day of chad michael murray-mas my true love gave to me a 2025 calendar. ‘THE MERRY GENTLEMEN’ premieres november 20 [sic],” reads the caption of the post, hinting at how the photoshoot may have been a promotional endeavor for Murray’s Christmas movie.

Upon seeing these photos, social media users flocked to comment sections to assert their opinions, many of which were critical. “I think im [sic] part of the 1% that never saw the appeal,” asserted an Instagrammer. Another remarked, “He really gives me the ick…”

Some people found that the photoshoot lacked modesty. “I find that slightly disrespectful. If it were a woman, we would find it questionable,” opined a Facebooker, while someone else wondered, “Does this make anyone else uncomfortable!??”

“Truly this feels like satire,” penned an observer. Another believed that Murray had a specific agenda for conducting the photo shoot, writing, “Talk about trying to be relevant lol.”

Meanwhile, an Instagrammer expressed, “Yes hes objectively hot, never liked how he makes that sympathetic expression by tilting his eye brows up in the centre, comes off as disingenuous and kinda douchy (to me) [sic].”

On the other hand, however, some people could not stop swooning over Murray, with one fan complimenting, “Ageing [sic] like a fine wine!” “This is a sexy man,” praised another. A fellow admirer gushed, “Need him like water.”

“I need this calendar printed out please and thank you,” requested yet another fan, while someone else commented, “He’s still so attractive but in his pictures and movies, he seems so cheesy .😆 But it’s working for him!”

In addition to his steamy 2025 calendar photo shoot, fans can expect more heat from Murray in “The Merry Gentlemen,” which was released on Netflix today (November 20). In the movie, directed by Peter Sullivan and written by Marla Sokoloff, Murray portrays the debonair romantic lead, Luke.

He stars alongside famous actress Brittany Robertson (Ashley), who is tasked with saving her parents’ small-town performing venue, the Rhythm Room.

The former big-city dancer puts together a Christmas-themed revue consisting of all-male dancers, which includes Murray.

Luke, described as a “kind, confident, and slightly sarcastic” contractor, decides to help Ashley out even though he may not be the most comfortable with the situation.

“He’s thrust into an unfamiliar situation and is pushed to the limits of comfortability,” said Murray of his character.

The attention-grabbing trailer, which came out on October 24, blends both the sultriness of “Magic Mike” with the festive vibe of Christmas, with its snapshots of handsome shirtless men dancing onstage and holiday-themed costumes and sets.

While Murray has acted in plenty of projects before, he shared that dancing was somewhat uncharted territory for him.

“It was something that I’d never done. I said, ‘Oh, this scares […] me. I’ve got to do this.’ I made a bunch of phone calls and said, ‘Let’s get in as much rehearsal time as possible,'” divulged the actor.

Although the recent attention that Chad Michael Murray garnered for his photoshoot and role in “The Merry Gentlemen” has been significant, he has had all eyes on him for a while now. When he first broke out as a star in the industry, he was quickly dubbed a heartthrob among the public.

Back in 2016, a fan decided to search what he looked like and complained that he had “so many wrinkles…” adding, “Wow my day is ruined.” That discourse picked right back up where it left off years ago now that Murray has been more active in mainstream projects.

An X user shared side-by-side images of the “One Tree Hill” alum in 2003 and 2023, captioning, “You may have forgotten about him but Chad Michael Murray has officially hit the wall […] The deepset wrinkles, crows feet, sunken in eyes and […] unkempt facial hair. At least you can say he still has his head of hair…for now.”

The same user added, “The teen heartthrob who was ubiquitous in the early 00s as the hunk of every show and movie is now way past his prime.”

Commenting on the same post, someone else lamented, “Omg this is DEVASTATING. He was so beautiful. Is there even any wall still standing after a collision of this magnitude?” Another critic wrote, “Wow. Time just destroyed his face and now he looks like an old douche-y [sic] guy.”