Nathan Scott

Grew Up… son of Dan and Deborah Scott. Nathan’s upbringing has been dominated by the presence of his overbearing father. Though successful on paper, Nathan’s achievements sometimes seem to be more the vicarious achievements of his father than his own personal victories.

Living… in his father’s shadow. Nathan’s mother is warm but somewhat distant, often away on business trips, leaving Nathan subject to the unrelenting pressure of his father.

Profession… junior at Tree Hill High School. Nathan is the star of the basketball team and accounts for the majority of the Ravens’ points. Nathan has been trained to be a ball-hog by his father, concerned more about personal stats than winning as a team. Nathan has a lot to learn about prioritizing the success of the team over his own success. Now that his estranged half-brother Luke (Dan is the father of both) has joined the team, Nathan feels his position as the team’s top dog even more threatened.

Interests… basketball is Nathan’s life. He isn’t the brightest bulb, but cares about his grades enough to seek out help – though primarily in order to remain eligible for basketball.

Relationship Status… dating Peyton, a Ravens cheerleader and fellow junior at Tree Hill High. Nathan doesn’t treat Peyton particularly well, passing the aggression he receives from his father onto her. Combine that with Peyton’s sometimes moody nature, and the relationship doesn’t seem to be working. Though Nathan is capable of insight into such matters: “Sometimes people play hard to get to make sure that the other person’s feelings are real.”

Challenge… taking control of his own life. This largely means Nathan needs to move out from beneath his father’s shadow. Nathan seems to have lived his whole life with the aim of pleasing his dad. He owes a lot to his father, but he also suffers from a lack of personal goals or true, honest ambition. He needs to find his own ambition, and get past his father’s pre-packaged concept of success. Sometimes he seems to realize that it’s time for him to be his own person: “It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And that someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”

Personality… competitive, jealous, and headstrong. Nathan isn’t at all afraid of offending others. Yet beneath his rude and occasionally immature exterior, there is a real person within, with a fair amount of wisdom.