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Hilarie Burton Morgan

Hilarie Burton Morgan

Actor, also producer · Born July 1, 1982 (44) · Sterling, Virginia, USA

Hilarie Ros Burton (born July 1, 1982), also known as Hilarie Burton Morgan, is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The WB/The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons (2003–2009). Post One Tree Hill, Burton starred in Our Very Own, Solstice, and The List. She has also had supporting or recurring roles in television series, including her role as Sara Ellis on White Collar (2010–2013), Dr. Lauren Boswell on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2013), Molly Dawes on the ABC drama series Forever (2014), and Karen Palmer on the Fox television series Lethal Weapon (2016). Burton was a co-host on the Drama Queens podcast along with her former One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz until the summer of 2024. Description above from the Wikipedia article Hilarie Burton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 1, 1982 (44)
From
Sterling, Virginia, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Hilarie Burton Morgan's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
41%
Self
24%
Morality
14%
Society
7%
Survival
6%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 5 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 9 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 9
Shapeshifter
1 of 9
Trickster
1 of 9
Ally
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
11
Hopeful
11
Tense
6
Melancholic
5
Romantic
5
Other
18

How their films linger

Feel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Hilarie Burton Morgan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Hilarie Burton Morgan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Bloody Axe Wound(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Walking Dead: Dead City(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Lucille Smith

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Good Sam(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Gretchen Taylor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Dear Christmas(2020)

    as Podcast Caller (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Friday Night in with the Morgans(2020)

    Show 12 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Christmas Wish(2019)

    Producer · as Faith

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Christmas Contract(2018)

    Producer · as Jolie Guidry

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Growing Up Smith(2015)

    as Nancy Brunner

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Lethal Weapon(2016)

    Show 5 episodes · as Karen Palmer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Summer Villa(2016)

    as Terry Russell

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Last Chance for Christmas(2015)

    as Annie

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Togetherness(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Surprised by Love(2015)

    as Josie Mayfield

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Black Eyed Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Forever(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Iona Payne

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Extant(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · as Anna Schaefer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Christmas on the Bayou(2013)

    as Katherine

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Naughty or Nice(2011)

    as Krissy Kringle

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Walking Dead(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Lucille Smith (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Bloodworth(2010)

    as Hazel

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The True-Love Tale of Boyfriend & Girlfriend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Boyfriend

  • White Collar(2009)

    Show 48 episodes · as Sara Ellis

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Castle(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Kay Cappuccio

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Secret Life of Bees(2008)

    as Deborah Owens

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Solstice(2008)

    as Alicia

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Normal Adolescent Behavior(2007)

    as Ryan

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The List(2007)

    as Jo Johnston

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Our Very Own(2005)

    as Bobbie Chester

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 3 episodes · as Lauren Boswell

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Unscripted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Hilarie Burton

  • One Tree Hill(2003)

    Show 129 episodes · as Peyton Sawyer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Dawson's Creek(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Hilarie Burton

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles from 1998 to 2024; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

$40M worldwide

Highest rated

White Collar (2009)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

One Tree Hill (2003)

Film career

19982024

Peak 2016 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 32: 30 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thProducing2 of 32: 2 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s11 · acting2010s15 · acting2020s5 · 3 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 54% of 13 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Hilarie Burton Morgan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The List (2007)

91st percentile spread · 54% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

White Collar (2009)

Midcredits 96th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Hilarie Burton Morgan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 53 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles24–47 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Hilarie Burton Morgan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hilarie Burton Morgan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Antwon Tanner shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers