Real-Life Couples of ‘The O.C.’: Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody & More
The O.C is the place with some of our favorite early 2000s couples — notably Ryan and Marissa and Seth and Summer — and it turns out those couples were real off-screen, too! We’ve always adored the budding romances between the stars on the teen drama, wondering whether the relationships would last through high school chaos.
Ryan and Marisa had a tragic ending, while Seth and Summer lasted for the whole season, but off-screen these Newport Beach couples were working on their own relationships. See what happened behind-the-scenes with these stars, plus more about the relationships of The O.C. actors from the Warner Bros teen drama.
1. Ben McKenzie and Mischa Barton: From on-screen drama to real-life romance
Amanda Edwards / Stringer
Characters Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper were the couple everybody wanted to be in the early 2000s, but as it turns out, the actors playing them started dating behind-the-scenes, too. Mischa Barton, then 17, recalled on a podcast that when they dated, he was 25.
“Yeah, it wasn't just on screen either,” Barton explained. “I mean it was kind of complicated for me. I went into that like a virgin, like a kid, like really feeling like I needed to grow up quickly… That was my first (relationship). I had no idea what I was doing.”
2. Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson: Seth and Summer IRL
Donato Sardella / Contributor
Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson were another on-screen couple from The O.C. that bled into real life. Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts coupled up on the show and it seems that’s what started their real-life relationship.
Bilson realized she might have feelings for Brody after their first on-screen kiss in season 1. “I remember after shooting the scene where I kiss him, like, I remember thinking, ‘Do I like Adam?’” she said in her podcast. “That’s when those wheels started turning.”
After their characters, Seth and Summer, coupled up on-screen, Brody and Bilson began dating in real life in 2003 and remained together throughout most of the show’s run. But in 2006, while filming the fourth and final season, the couple broke up, though they remain friendly to this day. Brody and Bilson even ran into each other in the airport in 2019 and shared a photo on Instagram. “I got on a plane leaving New York to head to L.A., and someone taps me on the shoulder,” Bilson explained. “I turned around and it's him. I was like, ‘Oh my God, Brody!’ It was just so good to see him.”
3. Adam Brody and Leighton Meester: ‘Gossip Girl’ meets ‘The O.C.’
Monica Schipper / Staff
It’s truly an iconic pairing: Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl and Seth Cohen from The O.C. are married in real life. The couple met for the first time in 2011 on the set of The Oranges and their relationship was confirmed in 2013. Brody and Meester tied the knot in 2014 and have two children together.
“He's my best friend,” Meester shared about Brody. “I wanna work with him on everything, and I think he's the best in everything.”
4. Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen: A decade-long ‘Jumper’ romance
Michael Buckner / Staff
Bilson met her former partner, Hayden Christensen, in 2007 on the set of Jumper, where they played love interests. The couple began dating and were engaged by 2008, welcoming their daughter, Briar Rose, in 2014.
Bilson and Christensen were together for nearly a decade, but ultimately split up in 2017. However, it seems the co-parents remain on good terms.
5. Peter Gallagher’s 41-Year Love Story with Paula Harwood
Imeh Akpanudosen / Stringer
We love Sandy and Kirsten’s relationship on The O.C., but Peter Gallagher has his own real life love story. The actor, who we know and love for portraying Sandy Cohen, has been married to his wife, Paula Harwood, for 41 years.
Gallagher recalls meeting her for the first time, explaining, “No words were exchanged. We just sort of, you know, glided by each other…. And I spent the next seven years trying to figure out how I could go out with her.”
The couple wed in 1983 and have two children — actress Kathryn Gallagher and James Gallagher.
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