Then & Now: The OC Stars 10 Years Later – Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, Shailene Woodley, More

No, really. The OC is now officially 10 years old. The pop culture phenomenon that introduced us to Chrismukkah, Phantom Planet and Chris Brown’s acting (!) began on August 5, 2003. That’s a decade ago this week.

The stars of the hit series, from Benjamin Mackenzie right down to guest actress Olivia Wilde, have achieved big things in the years that have passed since its (CRUEL!) cancellation in 2007.

Check out our round-up below of who’s doing what.

(All photos: Screengrabs/WENN)

Benjamin Mackenzie (Ryan Attwood)

Ryan Attwood made girls’ hearts go all over the place when he first rocked up at the Cohen residence in the first episode of the show, and actor Mackenzie is still not exactly ugly himself. He soon found work on another series, Southland, which ran for five seasons until its cancellation just a few months ago.

Adam Brody (Seth Cohen)

Adam has managed to maintain a quiet if impressive Hollywood career, making appearances in films from Mr & Mrs Smith to Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. He’s also now in the midst of promoting his latest project Lovelace, which stars Amanda Seyfried as the porn star of the same name. Oh, and in a match made in TV heaven, Adam is now dating Gossip Girl fave Leighton Meester.

Mischa Barton (Marissa Cooper)

Marissa’s death at the end of the atrocious Season 3 sent shockwaves through the show’s core fanbase, but Barton has barely stopped working since. Many of her recent credits have been a little more below the radar than The OC, but last year she starred in a music video for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and performed in a stage production of Steel Magnolias; and in 2013 she adds another three film credits to her CV. Just don’t mention Fearne Cotton.

Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts)

Summer Roberts began life on The OC as the resident b***h, but over time she softened into one of the show’s most endearing and popular assets. Bilson has since transferred that same charm into a completely new role – in The CW’s Hart Of Dixie, which begins its third season next month. She’s also starred in Jumper (bagging herself a boyfriend in Hayden Christensen), in the final episode of Gossip Girl and in new sex comedy The To-Do List.

Peter Gallagher (Sandy Cohen)

Peter Gallagher was no stranger to the land of showbiz when he took on the role of Sandy Cohen, and he’s continued to be busy ever since. On the small screen he’s racked up credits for Whitney, How I Met Your Mother and Californication, and in the movies he’s Conviction and Burlesque.

Kelly Rowan (Kirsten Cohen)

Kelly is about to dive into work on the second season of drama series Perception, which airs on US cable network TNT. Since putting Kirsten Cohen to bed for good she’s also appeared in CSI: Miami, Flashpoint and Cyberbully, as well as the films Jack and Jill vs The World and Rufus, which is still pending a release.

Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper)

Melinda has arguably been one of the busiest stars of The OC since the show finished in 2007. The actress has appeared in six episodes of cult hit Entourage (as herself), in three episodes of Eli Stone, in seven of The Vampire Diaries and in one of The Ghost Whisperer. She is now a regular cast member on Nikita, and has also found time to be in four episodes of Vegas.

Willa Holland (Kaitlin Cooper, teenager)

The OC was already a sinking ship when Willa was recruited to play Marissa’s little sister Kaitlin, but she still did a good enough job to secure a solid future in the business. She starred in five episodes of Gossip Girl as bad influence Agnes Andrews, and is also now a regular member of the Arrow team.

Shailene Woodley (Kaitlin Cooper, child)

Shailene was seen only briefly when The OC first launched in 2003, but was replaced by Holland when the show returned with her as an older character (even though she’s only five months younger than her successor). Still, she’s gone on to achieve huge success – picking up a string of accolades for her performance alongside George Clooney in The Descendants.

Autumn Reeser (Taylor Townsend)

Good ratings may have been a distant memory by the time The OC aired its final season, but critics credited Reeser with bringing back a lot of fun to the show as it neared its final days. She’s gone on to star in 10 episodes of Entourage, in four episodes of Hawaii 5-0, and in the film So Undercover, alongside Miley Cyrus.

Olivia Wilde (Alex Kelly)

Remember that time Marissa was a lesbian? Well it was Olivia Wilde’s Alex who took that brief adventure with her, after first stealing the heart of poor Seth (Adam Brody). Of course Olivia has gone on to huge things; starring as a series regular in House before going on to achieve A-lister status in Hollywood. Her biggest credits so far include Cowboys & Aliens, In Time, The Incredible Burt Wunderstone and Year One.