After surviving a devastating car accident, Lucas evidently is about to become a parent with ex-girlfriend Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush). The resulting strain has led him to consider moving away with Keith Scott (Craig Sheffer), the older brother of Lucas' biological father, Dan (Paul Johansson). Keith long has harbored unrequited feelings for Karen, who left him devastated by rejecting his marriage proposal.

Lately, general awareness of "One Tree Hill" has exploded, which Kelly attributes in part to network support evidenced by billboards and bus-station posters. "It's nice to see that they're finally backing the show," Kelly says. "Networks have a lot of shows they want to put out there, and sometimes they have a favorite. When that falls short, they take the money from that and disperse it among the shows that actually have a life. I don't know whether the WB thought our show could stand on its own the first half of the season and get an audience, but I'm just glad it did."

"One Tree Hill" wasn't supposed to debut until midseason, but it was moved up when the WB decided not to proceed with the planned adventure series "Fearless." Kelly explains, "It's been a really hard season, with long hours, but I think that just comes with the territory of getting a new show on its feet." The actress has been that route before, with the short-lived CBS romantic drama "To Have & to Hold" and the NBC series "The West Wing" (on which she was a first-year regular).

"One Tree Hill" pays as much attention to its older characters as to its teenagers, and Kelly reasons, "That's what makes it a little different from a 'Dawson's Creek' or a 'Beverly Hills, 90210.' The adults' stories are intertwined with the kids', and I think that's good. Teens should see that there's a parental presence somewhere in the younger characters' lives." Not that it's always easy for the youths: Dan also is the father of Nathan (James Lafferty), one of Lucas' high-school basketball teammates, often making things awkward for the boys. On top of that, Nathan is involved romantically with Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz), Lucas' best friend.

Kelly enjoys working with her young co-stars, and the feeling seems mutual. "I think I'm very easy on a set," she reflects. "I don't demand too much. I just love to work, and I love the interaction with fellow actors. Maybe the kids feel that ease. I wouldn't say I'm on their level, because I've realized on this show that there definitely is a gap between 21 and 36, but they're really excited. For a lot of them, this is their first big show. When we all get together and have a big scene that we're enjoying, I think that comes across."

Kelly is familiar with that sort of excitement, having worked in television and movies for 13 years. One of her early films, the 1992 comedy-drama "The Cutting Edge" -- a romance set in the world of Olympic figure skating -- has remained particularly popular via TV repeats and video rentals.

"That movie has such an old formula," Kelly says. "The boy and the girl from different sides of the tracks. I think D.B. (Sweeney, the picture's leading man) and I really had great chemistry, which is a huge part of a movie like that being memorable. I don't know why it's so timeless, but I'm really glad it continues to live on. I get 12-year-olds coming up to me and telling me it's their favorite film. We had just the best time making it."

To other fans, especially the very young, Kelly is best-known as the voice of Nala in the animated 1994 Disney classic "The Lion King" and its made-for-video 1998 sequel, "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride." She marvels that "a lot of people recognize my voice. I never knew I had a unique sound. When parents tell really little kids I'm Nala, they're completely perplexed. They're like, 'No, she's not. She's not a lion.' I'd love to do more voiceover work, because it allows you physical anonymity. You're free to do whatever you want."

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