Mischa Barton Reveals SURPRISING Romance with 'O.C.' Costar _ E! News
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00:00 I wasn't just on screen either.
00:02 Misha Barton reveals she and Ben McKenzie dated in real life
00:06 during their time on the OC.
00:08 The celeb who famously played Marissa Cooper
00:10 on the show for three seasons reveals the details
00:13 on the February 21st episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast.
00:17 Sitting down with host Alex Cooper,
00:19 Misha says she and Ben,
00:20 who played her star-crossed lover Ryan Atwood
00:22 on the teen drama,
00:23 briefly formed a romance away from the cameras.
00:26 I didn't realize that the romantic partner
00:29 that you had on your on-screen relationship
00:31 with the character Ryan Atwood, with Marissa,
00:35 you being 17 at the time,
00:36 I didn't realize he was 25.
00:38 And so like, again, as a 17-year-old
00:42 playing across a 25-year-old,
00:44 like that's a pretty big age gap.
00:46 How did you feel about that,
00:47 like romantic on-screen relationship?
00:49 Yeah, I wasn't just on screen either.
00:52 I mean, it was kind of complicated for me
00:55 'cause like I said, like I went into that like a virgin,
00:58 like a kid, like really feeling like I needed
01:01 to grow up quickly to portray like, you know,
01:04 acting with people older than me was a bit like,
01:08 oh wow, like they know what they're doing
01:10 and like there's gonna be like relationships on this show
01:13 and you're gonna need to like play that part.
01:16 And I didn't feel really ready for that
01:18 'cause I was always like a really late bloomer in school
01:21 and I hadn't really dated and I had, yeah,
01:25 I just had like no idea what I was doing really.
01:27 So I felt like I needed to catch up.
01:30 Misha, who has previously been open
01:32 about her rocky time on the series,
01:33 admitted her and Ben's relationship
01:35 may have contributed to the chaos
01:37 because of its whirlwind nature.
01:39 So you had a relationship with your castmate?
01:42 Yeah, I mean, that was my first,
01:44 like I had no idea like what I was doing, you know?
01:48 And I think that kind of set things off on the wrong foot too
01:51 because it was like, you know,
01:52 people hook up on these shows and whatever
01:54 and like these things happen,
01:56 but it was, we threw ourselves all into it very fast.
02:01 And like, then, you know, when you break up
02:03 and like things don't work
02:04 and they see you dating other people
02:06 and you know, like notoriously,
02:08 there was a lot of like interdating on that show
02:11 and different people getting together.
02:14 But I, yeah, it was, it definitely was tricky
02:17 that it happened like right out of the gate
02:20 and that like I felt overwhelmed
02:22 and not ready for any of that.
02:24 Misha and Ben's age gap was also a concern
02:27 for the show staff, according to Barton.
02:29 I remember they were like, Misha's disappeared with Ben
02:32 and like, she's only 17 and a half, 18,
02:35 like and the producers like went to my parents
02:37 and were like, you know, it was like a very,
02:40 it was kind of a whole ordeal.
02:41 And so like, that's in the very beginning of the show
02:44 before we're even like halfway through a season.
02:47 So there was a lot going on there.
02:49 That show, it just, so much happened in three seasons.
02:53 It really feels like it was over the course
02:55 of like seven years or something, but it wasn't.
02:59 It was like all crammed into this tiny little space.
03:02 E! News has reached out to Fox and reps for Ben,
03:05 but has not yet heard back.
03:06 And Misha's good again.
03:11 Hey Misha.
03:14 (upbeat music)
03:16 (upbeat music)