Top 10 The O.C. Stars: Where Are They Now?

Script written by Savannah Sher

Top 10 Where Are They Now Cast of the OC

Have you been following the careers of your favorite Newport Beach residents? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Where Are They Now?: Cast of The O.C..

For this list, we’re checking in with our favorite actors from this much loved teen drama. We will not, however, be bothering to talk about stars whose careers have really taken off like Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt.

#10: Samaire Armstrong

She may not have been a series regular, but this actress definitely made a big impact on the “O.C.” gang. Samaire Armstrong played Anna, who competed with Summer for Seth’s attention in the show’s first season. After leaving Orange County, she went on to star in the short lived show “Dirty Sexy Money” as well as making several appearances in other hits series like “Sons of Anarchy”. Most recently, she starred in the film “Carter & June”. She also had her first child, whose name is Calin, in 2017.

#9: Autumn Reeser

Taylor Townsend was memorable in the later seasons of “The O.C.” for her preppy, teacher’s pet persona. After the show ended, she continued with a career in television, with roles on several different shows. In 2016, she played alongside Tom Hanks in the biopic “Sully”. In 2017, Reeser landed a role on the E! Network show “The Arrangement”, where she plays a talent agent named Leslie Bellcamp. Not to mention, she’s now the mother of two boys, Finneus James Warren and Dashiell Ford Warren.

#8: Melinda Clarke

She may not have been the best mom on TV, but Melinda Clarke’s role as Julie Cooper was surely a memorable one. Playing Marissa’s mother, she didn’t seem to have a maternal bone in her body, and was more often a villainous figure on the show. After “The O.C.” wrapped, she continued to land TV roles, with stints on shows like “The Vampire Diaries”. She also played herself on several episodes of “Entourage”. More recently, she had the chance to work with Ben Mckenzie again when she made an appearance on his current series, Gotham.

#7: Ben McKenzie

Speaking of McKenzie, the brooding Ryan Atwood was central to the plot of “The O.C.” but unfortunately in the years after the show aired its final episode, he had trouble finding his new niche. Luckily in 2014, the perfect role came his way when he landed the lead spot on the Fox show, “Gotham” in the lead role as a young James Gordon. Four seasons in, the show is still going strong. In the summer of 2017, he married his “Gotham” costar, Morena Baccarin, and the two have a child together named Frances Laiz Setta Schenkkan.

#6: Chris Carmack

Marissa’s jock ex-boyfriend Luke acts as the antagonist at the beginning of “The O.C.” but eventually becomes one of the gang when certain changes in his home life brings them all closer together. Actor Chris Carmack had a number of film and TV roles after his run as Luke, but none of them really stuck. Carmack found success on the CMT show Nashville, where he played Will Lexington, a gay man who has trouble dealing with his sexuality. He currently has a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy as Seattle Grace's new "ortho god" Dr. Atticus Lincoln and is married with a daughter.

#5: Rachel Bilson

As one of the core cast members of “The O.C.”, Rachel Bilson ended the show as a recognizable household name, and used her fame to leverage roles in both TV and movies, starring in films like “The Last Kiss” and “Jumper”. She had a memorable guest arc as Cindy, a woman Ted dates on “How I Met Your Mother” and in 2011 got her own show with “Hart of Dixie”. Most recently, Rachel stars as Sam Swift on the new ABC buddy-cop comedy-drama Take Two that premiered in June 2018.

#4: Peter Gallagher

When you started watching “The O.C.” we can bet that your mom recognized Peter Gallagher as “that hunky actor from the ‘80s and ‘90s”. He already had a fulfilling career long before snagging the role of Seth’s dad, Sandy Cohen, and he has continued to act in both film and television, most notably with roles on “New Girl”, “Grace and Frankie” and “Californication”. With almost four decades in the business, it doesn’t look like this actor is going anywhere anytime soon. We can’t wait to see what he does next!

#3: Willa Holland

Marissa’s younger sister Kaitlin was a relatively minor character, especially early in the show. She typically only chimed in to say something about her horse. So you might not even realize it, but Kaitlin was actually played by two different actresses, both of whom went on to bigger and better things after the role. In season one, Shailene Woodley was cast, but for the rest of the series Willa Holland took over. Holland had a recurring role on “Gossip Girl” after “The O.C.” and more recently starred on “Arrow” as Thea Queen.

#2: Mischa Barton

Playing the beautiful but troubled Marissa Cooper, Mischa Barton became a well known face as a result of her time on the OC. At the end of the third season though, Barton’s character was killed off and the show went on without her. Unfortunately, after she left the show, Barton became tabloid fodder, often gaining negative attention due to her erratic behavior and appearance. Though she has made a number of appearances in TV and films, the level of success she found with “The O.C.” still hasn’t been revisited.

#1: Adam Brody

Debate this fact if you want, but the character of Seth Cohen played an early role in making geeks cool again. He embodied the term “adorkable” before it was even a thing, and actor Adam Brody came out of the series as a beloved teen heartthrob. Brody has continued to act, appearing in both film and TV, but perhaps what he’s most known for now is his relationship with another actress from the Josh Schwartz multiverse. Brody is married to Leighton Meester, who played Blair Waldorf on “Gossip Girl”. The two have a daughter together named Arlo.