Chris Pine Failed The O.C. Audition For One Reason, Reveals Casting Director

Chris Pine failed his audition for The O.C. because of one specific reason. The early aughts teen drama was a big success right out of the gate, benefiting from the casting of Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Mischa Barton, and Rachel Bilson. The Fox show found its audience thanks to the chemistry between the core four, with creator Josh Schwartz telling the story of the cultural clash that occurs when troubled teen Ryan Atwood (McKenzie) moves in with the wealthy Cohens in Orange County, California.

In the new oral history book Welcome to The O.C. by television critic Alan Sepinwall (via Deadline), casting director Patrick Rush revealed that he had to pass on future Star Trek and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves star Chris Pine. Pine was in the running to portray Ryan within the O.C. cast, and Rush expresses regret over the decision in the quote below:

“I hate saying this, but it’s the truth: Chris Pine was at the age where he was experiencing really bad skin problems. And it was at that point where it looked insurmountable. As a kid who grew up with horrible skin, it just broke my heart. But Chris Pine’s fine now. He’s all right.”

Other Alternate Casting Choices in The O.C.

The most well-known alternate casting is that actor and director Olivia Wilde was up for the role of Marissa Cooper, which eventually went to Barton. Some executives at Fox, which ran The O.C. from 2003 to 2007, pushed for Wilde over Barton. Wilde would later appear on The O.C. for a recurring role in season 2. She played Alex, who enters into a romantic relationship with Marissa.

Related The Surprising O.C. Casting That Almost Happened (& Would’ve Completely Changed The Show) The O.C. has been praised for its talented ensemble. However, one casting decision that almost happened would’ve completely changed the show’s legacy.

Jeff Goldblum was considered an ideal candidate to portray Sandy Cohen, the role won by Peter Gallagher. The role of Kirsten Cohen was auditioned for by Kelly Rutherford, who would eventually work with Schwartz on Gossip Girl, with Kelly Rowan playing Kirsten instead. Emma Stone auditioned for the part of Marissa’s younger sister, Kaitlin Cooper, for her recasting in The O.C. season 4, and so did other young actors like Lily Collins.

Perhaps the funniest alternate casting story mentioned in the book is that future Marvel star Sebastian Stan auditioned to play Johnny (Ryan Donowho) in The O.C., one of the show’s most disliked characters because his storylines dominated the series once he was introduced in season 3. Schwartz admits that he’s astonished and embarrassed to have passed on someone as notable as Stan, who later went on to recur as Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl. Like any other project, The O.C. has plenty of what if scenarios, and it’s interesting to imagine how different the show would be if any of these actors truly were cast.

Source: Welcome to The O.C. (via Deadline)

The O.C.

Release Date: 2003-08-05

Cast: Mischa Barton, Ben McKenzie, Peter Gallagher, Melinda Clarke

Genres: Drama

Seasons: 4

Season List: The O.C. – Season 1, The O.C. – Season 2, The O.C. – Season 3, The O.C. – Season 4

Story By: Josh Schwartz

Writers: Josh Schwartz

Network: FOX

Streaming Service(s): Hulu, HBO Max

Directors: Josh Schwartz

Showrunner: Josh Schwartz