Mischa Barton just revealed that Marissa Cooper wasn’t originally going to die in the O.C.
May 24, 2019 | News | No Comments
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24th May 2019
Marissa Cooper dying in Ryan Atwood’s arms on The O.C. was a heart-wrenching moment. The scene played out in a typical-but-entertaining fashion: the troubled teen lovers were run off the road by Cooper’s drunken ex, Kevin Volchok, while on the way to the airport. Atwood pulled Cooper’s body from the wreckage before the car burst into flames, and then proceeded to hold her tenderly until she died in his arms – cue the sobs. It was an iconic moment in television, but apparently, it wasn’t originally meant to be so tragic.
Actress Mischa Barton, who played Marissa Cooper for the duration of the show, has spoken out this week about her part in the ending. In an interview with the New York Times, Barton explained that she felt her character had endured enough, and killing her off was the only viable option. “She’s one of those burnout characters where I don’t know how much more we could have done with her anyway,” Barton told the New York Times.
As per the publication, Barton fought “tooth and nail” for Cooper’s fate, in part because she lacked approval for the alternate ending: that Cooper would ride off into the sunset (or escape Orange County to live with her dad on a boat in Greece, for those who missed it). “I just don’t think that’s Marissa Cooper. I just don’t think sailing off into the sunset’s the proper goodbye,” the actress explained.
She also noted that it was in her interest to shut down the possibility of her character returning in a later season, due to the fact that she wanted the freedom to pursue other projects at the time. “I was getting no time to do any of the other offers that were out there,” she explained.
Barton’s had a few minor roles since The O.C., but has mostly taken a step back to focus on her health after a DUI charge, a legal battle with an ex-partner, and reportedly being treated as a suicide risk. But now, the actress is set to star in the reboot of the reality TV series, The Hills.
Barton will work alongside veterans like Audrina Partridge, Heidi and Spencer Pratt, and Whitney Port, as the show details their evolved lives, and sometimes fractured relationships.
While she wasn’t part of the original reality series, it’s been said that The Hills served as inspiration for The O.C. characters and various plot lines. The Hills: New Beginnings reboot is set to air June 24, 2019.
