Marissa Cooper was one of the show’s defining characters, though the experience was more complicated for Barton
Credit: Shutterstock
NEED TO KNOW
- Mischa Barton played Marissa Cooper in three of The O.C.‘s four seasons
- Barton, 40, recently appeared on German television, where she hinted that a reunion may be in the cards for the cast
- The O.C. celebrates its 23rd anniversary this month, airing from August 2003 to Feb. 2007
Mischa Barton‘s heart is still in California.
The actress, 40, recently appeared on a German entertainment show RTL Exclusiv, where she was asked about her time on The O.C., which aired from 2003 to 2007.
“I did the podcast with Melinda and Rachel. There might be a reunion coming up, we’ll see… We’ll see…” she shared on the radio show. The host doubled down on asking about a reunion, particularly if there’s “anything planned.” Barton reiterated, “We’ll see.”
Barton was the show’s troubled party girl, Marissa Cooper, who suffered a myriad of trauma and tragedy before Barton’s exit at the end of season three. Marissa became involved in a car accident caused by her ex-boyfriend Kevin Volchok (Cam Gigandet). Ryan held her in his arms as she drew her final breath and her eyes went lifeless.
Aug. 5 marked the 23rd anniversary of the show, which followed the lives of affluent families living in California’s Orange County after a troubled young man is adopted into one of their homes. It also starred Rachel Bilson, Melinda Clarke, Adam Brody, Ben McKenzie, Kelly Rowan and Peter Gallagher.
Sharing some memories from the set in a video celebrating the anniversary with Cameo, Barton said the cast “really did have a blast” playing out typical teen experiences and drama on the show’s set.
“When you see us all playing in the pool togehter, playing chciken, that’s a day that… you know, we’ve been through it a lot together as a cast, but looking back on it now, Rachel and I still look back quite fondly on stuff like that in particular,” she shares.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
View this post on Instagram
Getting exposed to some of the greatest elements of pop culture, from fashion to music, also was a major upside for the cast, Barton notes.
“The clothes, I think, was my other favorite part of it, getting sent all of that. You know, it was always a good time when a beautiful Chanel dress showed up and we knew we were gonna get to do a proper party scene,” she noted.
Barton concluded, “And also the bands! Because Adam and I were and are big music geeks. Every time a cool band showed up — I even ended up dating the guitarist from Rooney and becoming friends with a couple of other bands that stopped by the set.”
Read the full article here







