Murray discussed his lengthy hospital stay as a teenager during an appearance on the Great Company podcast on Friday, Aug. 8. At the age of 15, he faced a life-threatening health issue when his intestines twisted, leading to internal hemorrhage.

“I was hospitalized for two and a half months. It was a lot,” the 43-year-old actor admitted, noting that he was “in and out of consciousness” during his time there.

“We underwent surgery. I experienced internal bleeding and lost 50% of my blood. I was on my deathbed,” Murray revealed, sharing that his family even brought in a priest to perform his final rites at one point.

“I just recall seeing my father, the weakest I’d ever seen him, and a priest at the end of my bed. They were discussing final rites, and [the nurse, Sandy] gave me a blood transfusion that saved my life,” he said. “It saved my life.”

While the actor did not specify his exact diagnosis or the cause of his intestinal twist, the University of California, San Francisco, defines volvulus as a condition where the intestine twists around itself, creating an obstruction that leads to the accumulation of food, fluid, and gas in the surrounding area.

Murray mentioned that he underwent a second surgery to “clean up” his internal organs.

“Regardless, you’ve been in there for two months, and my organs have shut down because the blood has coagulated around them. They had to wait for things to recover. So, I needed a second operation to clear things up,” he explained on the podcast.

The One Tree Hill star shared that his hospital experience was pivotal in helping him break into Hollywood, largely due to the encouragement of one of his nurses, Alana, who urged him to pursue a modeling career.

“Alana says to me, ‘Oh gosh, you should model,'” he recalled, remembering the conversation that set his career in motion. “I responded, ‘I don’t want to model. I want to become an actress. For example, I enjoy watching movies and television shows. I wish to offer this gift to others.’ And she replied, ‘Well, you can transition from modeling to acting. Look, when you get out, I’m going to set you up with a modeling agency I know.’ She was sincere about it.”

Murray described his exit from the hospital as the “scariest thing ever,” particularly due to the significant weight loss he had experienced.

“I got out. I went from about 180 to 118 pounds. I was a skeleton when I got out,” he said. “I remember looking in the mirror for the first time and saying, ‘Who is that?’ I cried. I couldn’t believe I was gazing back at that person.”

He also mentioned that his hospital stay allowed him to reconnect with his faith and strengthened his bond with his father, a single parent who raised him and his siblings.

“I started my relationship with God, and my relationship with my father became really close,” he said. “My dad was raising five kids on his own and came to the hospital every single day. He spent countless nights with me even though he had four more kids at home.”

“The man is as tough as nails, and he did this for us. I’m quite appreciative. That’s when our relationship really bonded,” Murray added.

The Sullivan’s Crossing actor has previously discussed his near-death experience as a teenager and how he has focused on his health in the years since.

In a 2019 appearance on the Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM, Murray stated that he prioritizes clean eating and avoids alcohol to prevent a recurrence of his health issues.

“I fueled myself with food, and I’ve made myself sick because of it,” he explained. “I’ve experienced both the bad side and the good side of it.”

Murray reflected on how watching movies and TV series during his hospital stay reminded him why he chose a career in acting.

“That’s why I became an actor in life,” he said. “I am simply having fun and trying to remember to do those things. Because that’s what it’s about: entertainment. For me, it’s all about spreading positive love and energy across the world through my family, God, and my business.”