Anchor Craig Melvin discovered he has something in common with one of Today‘s latest guests.
Chad Michael Murray stopped by the third hour of Today on Monday, May 4, to chat about his The CW series, Sullivan’s Crossing. The actor wrapped up the interview with a special surprise for Melvin, Al Roker, and Dylan Dreyer.
“We have a bit of a tradition. So, [the] first time I came, I brought some sexy calendars. It made me not so sexy. And then, I came in, and you guys gave me a jersey, which I still have,” Murray recalled of his past Today appearances. “So, this time, I thought no better place to — you guys will be the first people to receive this — I’ve got my own line of candles coming out.”
All of the hosts were excited to check out Murray’s new candle line, Coast to Coast. Melvin was particularly excited, as he is also the founder of his own candle company, Melvin Made.
“I hear that you’re in the candle business, so now, we’ve got a little bit of thing going on here,” Murray said to Melvin. While admitting the candle, he replied, “I know this vessel. This is a great fragrance.”
Melvin launched his brand in December 2025, while Murray’s company launched its first scent, California Summer, on Monday. As Murray explained on Today, the scent was inspired by his character on Sullivan’s Crossing, California “Cal” Jones.
“Each lid will be different ’cause it’s an homage to something,” he revealed. “So, I chop a lot of wood on Sullivan’s Crossing, so I thought that was a little funny wink and a nod.”
Murray noted that candles are special to him because scents carry memories. “They can transport you,” he told the hosts. “So, when I get off a plane in Wilmington, North Carolina, the smell of azaleas makes me go right back to One Tree Hill, playing on the River Court. And this, right here, reminds me of the summers in Nova Scotia, shooting Sullivan’s Crossing.”
Melvin was very impressed by Murray’s product. “Oh, you’re a soy wax guy? 100 percent soy, or do you use a blend?” he questioned, to which Murray responded, “Yeah. All made in California. All made in the USA.”
Roker, for his part, quipped that the two should geek out over their shared love of candles off-screen. “Why don’t you guys talk wicks a little bit later,” he quipped. Murray went on to state, “You gotta keep it trimmed to a quarter inch! C’mon, man!”
While Murray’s candles are inspired by some of his most memorable roles, Melvin’s are inspired by his loved ones. “The Lindsay, which I think may end up being one of the two most popular, is named after my wife [Lindsay Czarniak] because her father is a three-time cancer survivor. So it’s a nod to her dad, Chet, and the box is yellow because that’s her favorite color,” he told People in December 2025. “But it was also the first fragrance that she smelled that I was making, and she was like, ‘Oh, that’s nice. That’s good. What is that?’ So I named it after her.”
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Another, Melvin revealed, was “named after my younger brother Ryan’s late daughter, Jasmine.” He added, “It’s a nod to her, but also to him introducing me to the concept of candle making years ago.” (The proceeds of Melvin Made candles go to various cancer research and awareness charities.)
Third hour of Today, Weekdays, 9am, NBC
Sullivan’s Crossing, Season 4, Mondays, 8/7c, The CW
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