Few people have had a life like "One Tree Hill" character Nathan Scott's. He was raised by an overbearing murderer and a prescription pill-popper, has had two near-death experiences, had his NBA dreams crushed in a bar fight, and is facing the pressures of being a husband and dad at just 22. And yet, James Lafferty, who plays Nate, says he's more like Nate than any other character on the show.

"I don't identify completely with any of the characters," James, 22, tells SOAPnet.com. "I share Nathan's competitive nature -- obviously, I don't have the same problems at home -- but I identify with a lot of his traits." .

Speaking of those problems at home, James says he thinks they're portrayed accurately. Responding to SOAPnet.com reader concerns that Nathan's mom, Deb, is getting an unfair pass over dad Dan, he explains, "Dan has to deal with the consequences of his actions. Yes, Deb tried to kill Dan, but she had her reasons. Obviously, no one should kill anyone, but she was driven to it much more than Dan was driven to kill his brother, Keith. And Keith was such a beloved character.".

Plus, Nathan and Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) need Deb's help! The show's young married couple have a 5-year-old, not to mention promising careers in music and basketball to pursue. James says he enjoys taking on the role of a young father and husband: "It's challenging, but it's good. I actually am the age of the character I'm playing, and it's pretty interesting putting myself into those shoes. Obviously, a younger father is going to make a few mistakes here and there." .

Dealing with the Drama
It helps that James works well with costar Jackson Brundage, who plays the kid in question. "He's pretty much a genius," James says. "He's a great energy on set." And, he explains, that's needed when the actors get drawn into the show's often difficult dramas. "Each character has to go to a dark place to come back out of it," which means everyone pitches in to "lighten it up a bit" when the cameras aren't rolling..

Still, James doesn't think Nathan's had it that bad, when you put it in perspective. "I think one season Peyton [Hilarie Burton] cried for 13 episodes," he jokes.

As for the final episodes of the season, the actor tells us, "There's a lot more story to be told with Nathan and Dan -- Dan drops a bomb on everyone. And what's going on with Lucas's [Chad Michael Murray] storyline -- I almost guarantee that no one's going to see that coming." .

We can't wait!.

What do you guess is the Lucas surprise?