It’s been 12 years since the final episode of The O.C. aired, when it was cruelly taken away from us after just four seasons.
We’re not being dramatic either when we say our lives have never been the same since, either (well, at least not compared to the privileged, fictional residents of Newport Beach) and often find ourselves wondering what our favourite stars of yesteryear are up to now.
The O.C. launched a number of top stars, giving future A-lister Chris Pratt his first taste of fame, and in the years since it went off-air, Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody and plenty of others have forged successful careers in TV and film.
Not all of the cast members have focused their efforts on acting though, with other pursuits including releasing albums and even providing voiceovers for video games.
With Rachel and Adam’s recent airport reunion getting fans feeling super nostalgic, we thought it was time to check in with all of the cast to see what they’ve been up to…
Adam Brody starred as Seth Cohen…
Yup, still super cute. Anyway, what’s Adam been up to in the years since The O.C. ended? He married fellow US teen drama alumni Leighton Meester (yes, Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf!) in 2014, with the couple welcoming their first child – a daughter called Arlo Day – a year later.
Adam’s career has gone from strength-to-strength too, as starring in the US TV show Billy And Billie, which received rave reviews, and has also made appearances on the big screen, in movies Baggage Clai’, Welcome To The Jungle and Scream 4.
Most recently, he appeared in SkyOne drama Curfew, alongside Billy Zane and Sean Bean.
Benjamin McKenzie starred as Ryan Atwood…
In the years immediately after the final season of The O.C., the star focused his efforts on films, making appearances in Johnny Got His Gun, Decoding Annie Parker and Goodbye World.
Most recently, he played lead character James Gordon in all five series of US Batman prequel, Gotham, which ended in 2019.
Rachel Bilson starred as Summer Roberts…
Rachel hasn’t aged a day since stealing Seth’s (and our) heart, though she is now a mum, after welcoming her a daughter with then-boyfriend Hayden Christensen in 2014. The couple met on set of Jumper in 2006, but split in 2017.
Rachel’s biggest success since leaving Orange County behind is her sitcom, Hart Of Dixie. Sadly though, the series was axed after four seasons.
She went on to take the lead in 2018 crime comedy-drama Take Two, but it only lasted one series.
Mischa Barton starred as Marissa Cooper…
Mischa’s had a rocky ride since the show ended, and while she’s experienced career success in the movie world, her personal life has often hit headlines.
In April 2015, Mischa started legal proceedings against her mother, claiming that stole money and had damaged her reputation.
The actress has also taken on a number of refreshingly different projects, starring in a Noel Gallagher music video and launching her own fashion lines. She was also a contestant on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing With The Stars, in 2016. However, she didn’t hit it off with partner Artem Chigvintsev, and later said she “no idea it would be so bad”.
More recently, she joined the cast of the rebooted MTV reality show The Hills.
Peter Gallagher starred as Sandy Cohen…
During The O.C. Peter released an album, keeping his vocal cords in training for a return to Broadway when the show finished.
In 2010, he appeared alongside Cher in film Burlesque, and went on have small roles on a number of hit US TV shows, including How I Met Your Mother and New Girl.
He currently has a recurring role as Deputy Chief William Dodds in Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, and appears as Nick Skolka in Netflix’s Grace & Frankie.
Kelly Rowan starred as Kirsten Cohen…
Kelly welcomed a daughter in 2008, the year after we said our final farewell to Newport Beach.
In 2012 she nabbed a lead role in the crime drama ‘Perception’, where she starred alongside Will & Grace star Eric McCormack, before it was cancelled in 2015 and has remained largely out of the limelight since.
Melinda Clarke starred as Julie Cooper…
Julie was everyone’s favourite baddie with a heart, and after hanging up her stilettos, Melinda continued working with The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, making a guest appearance in his show Chuck.
She’s also lent her voice to a series of projects, including King Of The Hill and a Mission Impossible game.
She also starred alongside former O.C. co-star Benjamin McKenzie, when she had a two-episode guest stint in ‘Gotham’ in 2016, which was her most recent screen role.
Chris Carmack starred as Luke Ward…
Chris is another member of the cast who hasn’t age a day, and from 2015 to 2018, he was seen showing off his singing talents on the musical TV show Nashville as Will Lexington.
These days, he can be seen as Link on Grey’s Anatomy.
Olivia Wilde starred as Alex Kelly…
Olivia’s career has gone from strength-to-strength since her breakthrough role as Alex, and straight after filming wrapped, she headed over to the House set for a five-year stint on the show.
Her film credits include *deep breath*… Tron: Legacy, The Change-Up, People Like Us , Her, Cowboys & Aliens, Drinking Buddies, Rush and The Lazarus Effect. And breathe…
Alan Dale starred as Caleb Nichol…
Alan’s profile didn’t exactly need a boost back in 2003 when he took on the role of Caleb, and he’s showed no signs of slowing down since.
Alongside starring roles in Lost, NCIS and Ugly Betty, the star also popped up on Entourage and in The Mindy Project. In 2016, he appeared in Secret City back in his native Australia.
In 2018, he reprised his role as Jim Robinson in Neighbours, coming back from the dead to send a message to son Paul.
Willa Holland starred as Kaitlin Cooper…
Willa went from one amazing teen drama to another, when she joined the cast of Gossip Girl as Agnes.
Until 2019, Willa had a main role in six seasons of superhero drama Arrow as Thea Queen/Speedy.
Chris Pratt starred as Ché…
Chris isn’t doing too badly since his days as Brown University’s resident eco-warrior, and he recently starred in the reasonably well-known Jurassic World movies, as well as main roles in the Guardians Of The Galaxy and Avengers franchises.
He was married to fellow actor Ana Farris until 2018, and is now in a relationship with Katherine Schwarzenegger. He also does a cracking Essex accent, FYI.
Autumn Reeser starred as Taylor Townsend…
Autumn popped up in Rachel Bilson’s show Hart Of Dixie prior to its cancellation – but more excitingly, she played the formidable Julie Cooper in the one-off The O.C musical in 2015.
More recently, she starred alongside Tom Hanks in the film Sully, which told the story of the 2009 emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York.
She also had a lead role in short-lived E! series The Arrangement in 2017.
Tate Donovan starred as Jimmy Cooper…
Tate, AKA Hercules, has been pretty busy in recent years, and he reprised his role as the voice of Disney’s hero for a new video game in 2013.
He’s also been getting political, and was one of the many A-listers to back Barack Obama for presidency in 2008, and re-election in 2012.
In 2016, he appeared in the Oscar-nominated film Manchester By The Sea as a hockey coach, while in 2019, he appeared in Elton John biopic Rocketman as Doug Weston.
Logan Marshall-Green starred as Trey Atwood…
Is there anyone from The O.C who isn’t still ridiculously good-looking? (No, there is not).
Anyway, as well as film roles in Prometheus and Upgrade, Tom appeared as Jackson Brice in 2017′s Spider-Man: Homecoming, before starring in Netflix’s period drama Damnation.
Michael Cassidy starred as Zach Stevens…
Zach, with his boyish good looks, may not have been able to win Summer over, but actor Michael Cassidy hasn’t had any problems winning over fans.
He had small roles in Argo and Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice, and had a leading role in US sci-fi comedy People Of Earth as Jonathan Walsh.
He also welcomed his first child back in 2011.
Samaire Armstrong starred as Anna Stern…
Canadian star Samaire has branched out into fashion design between TV and film projects that have included Sons Of Anarchy, Dirty, Sexy Money and Windsor Drive.
Cam Gigandet starred as Volchok…
Cam didn’t waste any time when The O.C. wrapped, jumping straight into a role in Twilight. He also starred in Burlesque, and The Roommate, along with a series of other movies that sadly, weren’t quite so successful.
However, until 2018 he had a lead role in US TV series Ice, and continues to make small appearances in film.
Captain Oats starred as… um, Captain Oats…
If you don’t know him, this is Josh Schwartz, who is the man we have to thank for creating ‘The O.C.’ – and he still has Captain Oats. Well aware that Oats is probably the most important horse in teen drama history, Josh kept him – with Princess Sparkle(!!) – and he still sits on his desk. See the pic that proves it here.
