Rachel Bilson Reprises ‘The O.C.’ Character Summer Roberts for New Commercials

Rachel Bilson is heading back to The O.C., albeit briefly and not in the way you might think. Via Entertainment Weekly, the actress has stepped back into the shoes of Summer Roberts from the beloved Fox drama for some commercials. Reuniting with creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage for their production company Fake Empire, the trio worked with tequila brand 21Seeds for a series of ads that will make any O.C. fan wanting to go back.

Between hearing the show’s iconic theme song, “California” by Phantom Planet, in the background to referencing iconic catchphrases to some people resembling very familiar characters such as Ben McKenzie’s Ryan Atwood and Mischa Barton’s Marissa Cooper. It was all very much like The O.C., especially when Bilson was basically reliving some moments from the series. The commercials will make any fan nostalgic, no matter how long it’s been since the last binge-watch.

The O.C. aired on Fox for four seasons, from 2003 to 2007. Along with McKenzie, Barton, and Bilson, the series also starred Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Adam Brody, Chris Carmack, Tate Donovan, Melinda Clarke, Alan Dale, Willa Holland, and Autumn Reeser. The commercials come after a book spilling all of the behind-the-scenes secrets released last year. Welcome to The O.C.: The Oral History released on Nov. 28 and includes interviews with key creative forces and actors from the series.

“We’re very grateful to 21Seeds for extending the opportunity to revisit our first project together to celebrate its 21st birthday,” Schwartz said in a statement. “We’re constantly asked about a reunion or where our characters would be now, and this felt like a fun way to hang out with Summer Roberts again.” The O.C.‘s 21st anniversary will be on Aug. 5, making the commercials the perfect present for the show’s special birthday.

With many shows being rebooted these days, could The O.C. be next? Rachel Bilson clearly didn’t mind being Summer Roberts again, so who knows what the rest of the cast thinks. In 2021, Adam Brody gave his thoughts on a reboot, shutting down the idea pretty quickly. It’s possible that his mind has changed, but it would be hard to reboot the series just because it is so beloved and so iconic. At the very least, maybe some of the cast can follow in Bilson’s footsteps and reprise their roles via commercials.