It’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since the first episode of The O.C.(!). We probably spent more time getting to know Seth, Ryan, Summer and Marissa at Newport Beach than our actual mates during our formative years.
But the ‘00s teen show could have been very different, as the creator revealed who almost played damaged debutante, Marissa Cooper, in the generation-defining series...
Olivia Wilde.
Yup, the Vinyl actress who played Coop’s badass girlfriend, Alex Kelly in season two, originally read to play the girl next door.
But The O.C.’s creator, Josh Schwartz, said at the time that Olivia was too empowered to play the lead role that Mischa Barton went on to play. 'Marissa was obviously a character who Ryan needs to save and Olivia Wilde needs no saving. She's pretty tough,' Josh admitted recently at a panel discussion at ATX Television Festival in Austin.
Probably the best reason to be rejected for a role ever.
But it seems the ghost of Marissa’s death at the end of season three still haunts him, adding: 'It's something we still wrestle with…there were reasons both creative and in terms of just the show itself and where we were at that moment with the network.'
Don’t worry Josh, we’ll still be binge-watching The O.C to get us in the summer spirit. Maybe just seasons one and two though. Soz.
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