Chad Michael Murray was relieved to be "humbled a bit" following the peak of his fame during the 2000s.
The 44-year-old actor established himself as a big star during the decade with roles in shows such as One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek but admits that he wasn't entirely sure how to handle his ascension into the limelight.
Chad told the Like A Farmer podcast: "I grabbed the bull by the horns and was like, 'Let's go. Let's go have some fun.' And we did. We had a lot of fun.
"And do I look back and have a lot of regret? Of course. Like, what a crazy time. Like, I'm so grateful there were no camera phones around."
The Gilmore Girls star revealed that he discovered more about himself through "screwing up" than he would have done had his career progression continued to soar.
Chad said: "Because if I would have continued to keep winning, I think I probably would have destroyed myself.
"I don't think winning was the answer at that time. I think God was like, 'All right, let's back off. Let's back the trolley down. Like, you need to be humbled just a bit.' I'm grateful for it, man."
Murray explained that he has no regrets about finding fame at an early age as he thinks it has led him to where he is in life now.
The Freakier Friday actor - who has three children with his wife Sarah Roemer - said: "If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing, you know, and the only reason I say that is because I wouldn't have my wife and kids. I wouldn't be where I am.
"I probably wouldn't have refund the Lord. I probably wouldn't have been, like, as grateful as I am to go to work on a daily basis."
Chad previously discussed how he found it hard to cope with "so many eyeballs" on him during his early years in the spotlight.
He told Interview: "There was a moment where I was quitting. I was done. I just couldn't do it anymore.
"It was because, when you're 18 to 25, these formidable years where you're really cutting your teeth on life experiences and your brain isn't fully developed, you make mistakes. I mean, gosh, we still screw up when we're grown-ups.
"But I think it's hard for me to see past those moments when you're not adult enough to understand the scenarios that you're in."
