Where The OC cast is now – from drink-driving scandal to co-star love splits

American television drama The OC captivated audiences worldwide as it portrayed the chaotic yet relatable lives of teens who grew up in Orange County, California.

The drama, which ran from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, centred on troubled teen Ryan Atwood who was adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen.

Only running for a total of four seasons, the show quickly became one of the most popular dramas between 2003 and 2004 and managed to change pop culture during its peak.

But although the programme premiered with relatively high ratings it failed to pull in the crowd shortly after and was axed after four years.

With the show now firmly placed on the shelves, and to celebrate the first episode’s anniversary, Daily Star has taken a look at what the original cast did next after it ended.

Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper

Playing the character Marissa Cooper, actress Misha Barton went on to become one of the most famous stars from the show.

Throughout the programme, rich socialite Marissa went through a number of dramatic family issues. The rebellious teen had a history of substance and alcohol abuse which later played a part in her death in season three.

After her time on the American drama ended, actress Misha Barton became known as a fashion icon and had a string of celebrity pals. She also appeared in several smaller budget independent films.

However, things slowly took a turn for the worse and much like her character, Misha became involved in heavy drinking and substance abuse.

In 2007, Mischa was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, and driving without a valid license. Talking about her arrest, the star told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show: “Obviously, I’m 100% responsible for my actions in this case, and I’m really disappointed in myself.”

In July 2009, Mischa was hospitalised in a psych ward. At the time a source told E! she was admitted for “suicidal” actions.

Though she tried to revive her career by appearing on Dancing With The Stars, Mischa was admitted to hospital again in 2017 after a neighbour reported she was behaving erratically.

That same year, Mischa became the victim of revenge porn.

In 2019, Mischa starred in the reboot of MTV’s The Hills: New Beginnings, but did not stick around for the second season.

Ben McKenzie as Ryan Attwood

Actor Ben McKenzie stole the hearts of fans all over the globe when he played the troubled but loveable Ryan Attwood.

Ryan gets a second shot life when he is taken in by highly affluent parents who have the ability to change his world.

Once The OC came to an end, Ben continued to flourish in Hollywood and starred in films such as The Report in 2019 and television shows such as Gotham from 2014 to 2019.

In 2020, Ben made his Broadway debut in the Second Stage production of Grand Horizons at the Hayes Theatre.

Ben married Brazilian actress Morena Baccarin in 2017 and they share two children together.

Sharing the announcement of his second child earlier this year, the actor took to social media to post an adorable pic of his baby boy.

Captioning the photo, Ben penned: “Welcome to the world, Arthur. Gotta say, your timing is impeccable.”

Adam Brody as Seth Cohen

Adam Brody played the loveable Seth Cohen in The OC and impressed fans with his likeable yet unlikely bromance with adopted brother Ryan Attwood.

Since the programme ended, Adam still continued his acting career and starred in several movies and TV shows.

Some of his most notable film credits include Jennifer’s Body in 2009 and Ready or Not in 2019.

In 2014, Adam married Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester. The happy couple tied the knot the following year in a private ceremony on February 15, 2014.

Adam and Leighton welcomed their first child in 2014 and had their second in 2020.

The fan-favourite star is set for a return to the Spandex suit when he reprises his role as Freddy Freeman in the Shazam! sequel, Fury of the Gods, set for a 2023 release.

Rachel Bilson as Summer Roberts

Played by actress Summer Roberts, Rachel Bilson was a sassy rich girl who also had quite a big heart.

Portraying the stereotypical popular girl, Rachel became increasingly worried when she believed her reputation would be tarnished by dating the socially awkward Seth Cohen. But the pair soon became one of the fans’ favourite fictional couple.

Away from the show Rachel and her co-star Adam dated in real life but they later called it quits in 2006.

Once her time in The OC was up Rachel continued working in the television and film industry and appeared in shows such as Nashville and Gossip Girl.

Rachel went on to date actor Hayden Christensen, who she met while starring in the film Jumper.

The couple welcomed their first daughter in October 2014, but three years later the once happy pair parted ways.

Kelly Rowan as Kirsten Cohen

Kirsten Cohen is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood in the show.

Although actress Kelly Rowan originally portrayed her character Kirsten as being unwelcoming towards Ryan she later became fond of him and tried to include in more in family matters.

Just like her other OC co-stars, Kirsten continued to work in film and television and appeared in quite a few low budget films and movies.

The Canadian native and her ex-fiancé David Thomson share one daughter, who was born in April 2008.

Peter Gallagher as Sandy Cohen

Actor Peter Gallagher took on the role of Sandy Cohen in the popular American drama and played the part incredibly well.

Father to Seth and adopted son Ryan, Sandy was the voice of reason in the show and often helped the teens with their ongoing issues.

Peter has starred in several popular TV shows since The OC as his career continues to flourish.

The star has appeared in popular dramas and comedy shows such as New Girl, The Good Wife and How I Met Your Mother.

Peter is married to Paula Harwood and they share two children together, James and Kathryn. His daughter Kathryn is also actress and singer.

Earlier this year, Kathryn Gallagher won a Grammy award for Best Musical Theatre album.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk