'The O.C.' Star Ben McKenzie Addresses Mischa Barton's Exit and Marissa's Death

'Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History' sheds light on the Ryan Atwood actor's perspective.

By John Connor Coulston - November 26, 2023 12:39 pm EST

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A new book is set to reveal what really went down behind the scenes on The O.C., and one of the preview excerpts let fans know star Ben McKenzie's thoughts on the Fox show's most infamous moment. Facing network pressures at the end of Season 3, creator Josh Schwartz and executive producer Stephanie Savage opted to kill off Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton). Marissa was one of the show's lead character and the love interest of Ryan Atwood (McKenzie).

Rumors have swirled for years about the circumstances around Barton's exit from the show. The new book by Alan Sepinwall, Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History, clears up some of the chatter about the moment, including how McKenzie felt about losing losing a key scene partner. In an advanced excerpt published in Vanity Fair, McKenzie shares his perspective on Cooper's emotional state in the time leading up to the departure.

"I do remember her being upset before," McKenzie recalled. "And yeah, I guess that sounds right that she was probably also upset [to be killed off]. It's a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' thing. She was younger, so she was dealing with this whole mess of feelings that we were all dealing with to some degree, but hers were probably even more acute. So I don't blame her. But it did become this situation that I think something had to give. So Josh, Bob [DeLaurentis, executive producer,] and Stephanie did what they had to do."

He also shed some light on the vibes on set in the days leading up to filming the devastating scene, which involved Ryan holding Marissa as she died in the wake of a terrible car crash. "I remember it being awkward," the actor, now 45, said. "I think everyone had feelings that they weren't able to articulate at the time, or certainly didn't want to share with each other. But it was also sad to mark the end of this run of her character."

Elsewhere in the excerpt, the Gotham and Southland star also responds to Schwartz and Savage's feeling that he and co-star Adam Brody would have much rather been killed off in Marissa's place. "Adam definitely said that, I'm sure," McKenzie recalled. "I don't remember my mindset at the time. So I don't know that I said it quite as strongly as Adam, but I certainly can understand."

Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History, out on Tuesday via Mariner Books, also gets Barton's perspective on the choice to kill off her character. She called the move "a bummer" but "inevitable."

"It was a little bit of a bummer," Barton, now 37, says in the book. "But it was sort of headed in the direction that it was becoming inevitable, I guess. The character was just doing too much. And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn't much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it's better to have the more dramatic ending."

How to order Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History by Alan Sepinwall

With all the pre-release excerpts of the book already stirring up fans, you might be wondering how you can get your hands on a copy. The good news is, Amazon is offering Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History right now so the book can be in your hands on release day or right after. Or you can pre-order the Kindle version of Welcome to the O.C. and read it as soon as it is released.

The book recounts the creation, production and cancellation of The O.C., with interviews with creator Josh Schwartz and executive producer Stephanie Savage, as well as numerous stars, such as Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson. The oral history doesn't just run through the events of the show, it spills all the behind-the-scenes details throughout the show's four seasons — including controversial creative decisions that fans have been divided over for 20 years.

Mariner Books, the book's publisher, writes, "Welcome to the O.C. will offer the definitive inside look at the beloved show-a nostalgic delight for audiences who watched when it aired, and a rich companion to viewers currently discovering the show while it streams on HBO Max and Hulu."

Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History is available on Kindle, Audible, as an audio CD, and in hardcover.

Order 'Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History' at Amazon

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