‘The O.C.’ Turns 20: 15 Celebs Who Guest Starred on the Teen Drama
It’s now been 20 years since Luke (Chris Carmack) welcomed Ryan (Ben McKenzie) to a certain beachside county in profane fashion. “Welcome to the O.C., bitch!” Luke snarked, after he and his cronies trounced Ryan in a fistfight.
That moment in the pilot episode of Fox’s The O.C. — airing on August 5, 2003 — set the tone as Ryan left behind a troubled childhood to move in with Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) in the moneyed Newport Beach, California. As the teen settled in to the unfamiliar new environment, he met Sandy and Kirsten’s son, Seth (Adam Brody); Seth’s longtime crush, Summer (Rachel Bilson); girl-next-door Marissa (Mischa Barton); and other privileged youths.
The teen drama aired four seasons before getting evicted by Fox. But as you’ll see if you rewatch The O.C. on Max, numerous famous faces turned up on the show during that abbreviated run. Below are 15 of those familiar guest stars.
Gisele Bündchen
This Brazilian supermodel had an uncredited appearance as herself in the Season 3 episode “The Heavy Lifting.”
Max Greenfield
This star of New Girl and The Neighborhood played a young Sandy in Season 4’s “The Case of the Franks.”
Paris Hilton
This reality star-turned-deejay guest starred in Season 1’s “The L.A.,” playing partygoer Kate, who takes an interest in Seth.
George Lucas
The Star Wars filmmaker played himself — or, at least, a version of himself that was interested in Seth’s comic book — in Season 2’s “The O.Sea.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Before going to bat in the Walking Dead franchise, Morgan played an inmate Sandy visits in prison in Season 2’s “The Accomplice.”
JD Pardo
This Mayans M.C. lead appeared in three episodes of The O.C.’s third season — but was only credited as “Tattooed Surfer.”
Chris Pratt
The Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy star recurred as The O.C.’s Winchester “Ché” Cook, an animal activist who befriends Summer and Seth in Season 4.
Jeri Ryan
Between her stints on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard, Ryan played Charlotte Morgan, a con artist who tries to swindle Kirsten in Season 3.
T.I.
This rapper had a cameo as himself — and performed his song “Bring ‘Em Out” — in Season 2’s “The Return of the Nana.”
Paul Wesley
Before his breakout role on The Vampire Diaries, Wesley guest starred in Season 1’s “The Outsider” as Donnie, a Crab Shack employee who accidentally shoots Luke in the arm.
Olivia Wilde
This Don’t Worry Darling star and director recurred in Season 2 as Alex Kelly, a bartender who dates Seth and Marissa.
Shailene Woodley
Before starring on Big Little Lies and in the Divergent films, Woodley played Marissa’s sister Kaitlin in Season 1. (Willa Holland took over the part in Season 3.)
Janel Parrish, Ashley Benson & Lucy Hale
These three Pretty Little Liars alums all guest starred on The O.C.: Parrish and Benson played friends Leah and Riley in Season 4’s “The Summer Bummer,” while Hale played Kaitlin’s boarding school roommate Hadley Hawthorne in Season 3’s “The Man of the Year.”
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