The O.C. turned a TV phenomenon when it premiered in 2003. The beloved teen cleaning soap reeled viewers proper in as troubled teen Ryan Atwood goes to reside in the glitzy and privileged world of Newport Beach, California. Over the course of 4 seasons, followers watched Ryan and Marissa’s starcrossed romance ebb and movement, Seth and Summer’s relationship blossom, and the plethora of surprising twists. (Cue Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.”)
Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History, written by Alan Sepinwall, The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, and government producer Stephanie Savage, offers a glimpse into the present’s origins and what actually went on behind the scenes. From the recognizable names who have been up for key roles to the fallout of Marissa’s tragic demise in season 3, Hollywood Life has the final information to this stellar and nostalgic journey down reminiscence lane.
Olivia Wilde Was Up for the Role of Marissa
While Olivia Wilde would go on to play Alex, the Bait Shop worker who turns into romantically concerned with Seth and Marissa, she was initially up for the position of Marissa Cooper. In the guide, casting director Patrick Rush admits he needed Olivia for Marissa as an alternative of Mischa Barton.
“I was more excited about Olivia because I think Olivia was naturally a better actress. Not as experienced, just better,” Patrick says. Josh provides, “We thought she was phenomenal and really liked her. Ultimately, though, Olivia comes from a place of real strength. Marissa was someone who needed to have a real vulnerability to her. Ryan is stepping into her life and trying to help rescue Marissa from the dark forces that are swirling around her. And Olivia was somebody who did not need saving in any way, shape, or form.”
The O.C. workforce had “tons of auditions” for Marissa, together with Kate Mara. Josh had a line in the script the place Marissa is described as “the most heartbreakingly beautiful girl in the world and knows it, and is a little embarrassed by it.” He notes, “Marissa needed to be in this world where everybody’s attractive, but there’s just something about her that feels alien. That feels elevated.” And that’s how Mischa landed the position.
Andrew McCarthy Was in the Mix for Jimmy Cooper
It’s exhausting to think about anybody however Tate Donovan as down-on-his-luck Jimmy Cooper. During the casting course of, Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy was in the combine to play Julie’s husband.
“We had a really good conversation with Andrew McCarthy, who ended up not being Jimmy,” Stephanie says in the guide. “He said very interesting things about the character that we actually incorporated into the story. We had talked about Jimmy Cooper ‘doing the right thing,’ by marrying Julie when she got pregnant. Andrew McCarthy was like, ‘For Jimmy’s parents, ‘the right thing’ is getting an abortion. They do not want him to marry Julie, so if he’s marrying Julie, he’s doing that for another reason that’s not pleasing his parents. His parents want him to marry someone from his own social strata and have children in his thirties. They are not rooting for this.’ And I thought that was really interesting because Andrew McCarthy was the same age as the character and had gone through that echelon and experienced those values in a way that felt like what he was saying was true.”
Pretty In Pink star Jon Cryer learn for the position of Sandy Cohen, which went to Peter Gallagher. “2003 was the year the Brat Pack was going to do TV,” Josh says.
Chris Pine Didn’t Get the Role of Ryan Due to Acne
Casting the position of Ryan Atwood proved tough for the casting workforce. While Chris Pine had a stable audition, the casting director explains why he didn’t get the position.
“We saw Chris Pine, who was really good. I hate saying this, but it’s the truth: Chris Pine was at the age where he was experiencing really bad skin problems,” Patrick says. “And it was at that point where it looked insurmountable. And as a kid who grew up with horrible skin, it just broke my heart. But Chris Pine’s fine now. He’s all right.”
Garrett Hedlund was additionally in the operating to play Ryan. “And then in the middle of that process, he got cast as the lead of Troy,” Josh reveals.
The Olsen Twins ‘Rescued’ Rachel Bilson
During the first season, the solid turned family names. The “Core Four” began to get an awesome quantity of fan and press consideration. Rachel Bilson recollects by chance leaving Adam Brody behind at TRL when he was “getting swarmed by a mass mob.”
She provides, “And the Olsen twins rescued me and threw me in their car. I left Brody behind because I was so nervous and didn’t know what to do. And they were like, ‘Don’t you need to get your boyfriend?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, we’ve got to go get him.’ He was being mobbed.”
The Paternity of Theresa’s Son: Ryan or Eddie?
The Theresa storyline is extremely contentious amongst The O.C. followers, particularly Ryan and Marissa shippers. At the finish of the first season, Ryan goes again to Chino after studying Theresa is pregnant. In the season 2 premiere, Theresa fakes a miscarriage, which pushes Ryan again to Chino.
Fans have questioned for years about the paternity of Theresa’s son. Is the father Ryan or her abusive ex Eddie? Ryan visits Theresa in season 2, and her younger son seems to be suspiciously like Ryan, which makes followers assume that Ryan is the father.
Both Josh and Stephanie keep that Eddie is the father of Theresa’s son. However, Navi Rawat, who performed Theresa, sees issues in a different way. “I always thought that it was Ryan’s,” she says. “And Theresa didn’t want to tell him because she loved him as a friend, and because it was a decision that she ultimately made on her own. I think she did that in the spirit of their friendship, and in the spirit of loving him enough to set him free.”
Marissa’s Death Was the ‘Biggest Mistake’
Marissa’s gut-wrenching demise in the season 3 finale modified the course of the present ceaselessly. Mischa admits that being killed off was “a little bit of a bummer. But it was sort of headed in the direction that it was becoming inevitable, I guess. The character was just doing too much. And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
Kelly Rowan, who performed Kirsten Cohen, says that she believes killing off Marissa was “the biggest mistake they were going to make. That whole foursome, the chemistry with those four actors, screwing with that, I thought was a big mistake. I don’t know the specifics of why that decision was made.”
Stephanie remembers “bawling” when she watched Marissa’s demise scene for the first time. “I was like, What have we done? Not just that it was sad that Marissa died, but that we made a terrible, terrible mistake,” she admits.
Josh acknowledges that they may have revived Marissa in season 4. “That said, Season Four, the show did have a creative rebirth as a result of that. But was it worth it?” he wonders. Kelly notes that her daughter is now watching the present, and she requested her mother why they killed off Mischa’s character. “From the show’s perspective, messing with that foursome, it never recovered,” Kelly says. The O.C. resulted in 2007 after 4 seasons.
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