After Starring in Taylor Swift’s ‘Teardrops on My Guitar’ Video, Tyler Hilton Recalls Living on Her ‘Cool’ Family’s Houseboat (Exclusive)

The ‘One Tree Hill’ star tells PEOPLE that he and Taylor Swift’s family stayed close for years after he appeared as Drew in the music video

While Taylor Swift‘s first single “Tim McGraw,” solidified her status as a country star, it also caught the attention of another singer-songwriter — Tyler Hilton. 

Hilton, now 40, who started his career as a musician before landing the role of Chris Keller on One Tree Hill in 2004, remembers sitting down to research a publication ahead of an interview and finding a writeup on the then-newcomer.

“I’m not embarrassed to say I was blown away by that song ‘Tim McGraw,’ ” Hilton tells PEOPLE of the 2006 single. “’Cause I’ve never heard as a writer something so simple and so earnest as: ‘When you hear Tim McGraw, I hope you think of me.’ ”