Taylor Swift love interest from breakthrough music video 19 years ago looks totally different now

A musician who appeared alongside Taylor Swift in one of her earliest music videos has opened up about their unlikely friendship, revealing what life has looked like for him in the years since.

Tyler Hilton, now 41, played the on-screen love interest in Swift's "Teardrops On My Guitar" video, one of the pop star's very first releases back when she was still a teenager breaking into the country music scene.

Hilton was already an established name at the time, having starred as Chris Keller in "One Tree Hill" and portrayed Elvis Presley in the 2005 film "Walk the Line."

Speaking to Us Weekly while promoting his new children's book, Hilton reflected on how he first crossed paths with Swift, revealing he had actually been a fan of hers before the pair ever met.

He recalled praising her songwriting in an interview with a country music magazine, unaware that Swift had already been following his career online.

Her team soon got in touch, revealing Swift was a huge admirer of Hilton's own material and inviting him to one of her shows at a small venue in Southern California.

It was there that the then 15-year-old Swift asked him directly if he would star opposite her in an upcoming music video, a moment that led to Hilton appearing in "Teardrops On My Guitar."

And it's fair to say, he looks completely different to the fresh faced young man in the music video.

Reflecting on Swift's rapid rise to global fame, Hilton admitted he still finds it hard to comprehend just how big she became, describing her early diary-written lyrics as proof that her earnest, songwriter persona was never an act. (Instagram/Tyler Hilton)

What is Tyler Hilton doing now?

The pair stayed close in the years that followed, with Hilton revealing he even lived on the Swift family's houseboat in Nashville for several weeks after relocating to the city.

He described the family as down to earth, recalling evenings spent listening to Swift play unreleased songs from her bedroom, including early versions of "White Horse" from her second album.

Hilton has continued to build his own career in the years since, releasing five studio albums and working steadily as an actor and composer.

His latest project marks a shift into children's literature, with his debut book, "Daddy: Live in Concert," inspired by performing for his young daughter during the pandemic.

Tyler Hilton has now written a children's book (Photo by Dean Buscher/CBS via Getty Images)

How did Tyler Hilton and Taylor Swift first meet?

Hilton explained the idea for the book came from watching his daughter's reaction to seeing him perform, despite her having barely seen him tour throughout her life.

He said he wanted to capture that childlike wonder from a kid's perspective, describing it as a playful twist on the classic "my dad could beat up your dad" boast.

Reflecting on Swift's rapid rise to global fame, Hilton admitted he still finds it hard to comprehend just how big she became, describing her early diary-written lyrics as proof that her earnest, songwriter persona was never an act. He credited that authenticity as one of the key reasons behind her lasting success.

Hilton said songwriting and writing children's books draw from similar creative instincts, though he noted that music tends to come from a more melancholic place, while children's stories offered a welcome return to a simpler, more playful mindset.