Author: Hilarie Burton

Hilarie Burton moved from presenting on MTV to acting, becoming widely known as Peyton Sawyer in One Tree Hill and later appearing in White Collar, Lethal Weapon, and television films. She has also worked as a producer. Her 2020 memoir The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm follows the life she built with her husband, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Burton writes about renovating a home, gardening, raising animals, finding community, and helping to revive Samuel’s Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck. Her account brings those experiences together as a reflection on family, practical work, and the sense of belonging she found in rural life.