Chris Pine talks ‘traumatic point’ losing out lead part in ‘The O.C’

Chris Pine opened up about how he lost the role of the Ryan Atwood in The O.C. in circumstances that were not quite in his control.

Casting director Patrick Rush revealed in Welcome to The O.C.: An Oral History, that the Star Trek star did not get the role because of his skin problems.

Pine was asked about it during his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where it was still PTSD or a sour point for him.

“No — I mean, it’s a part of my life. Look, do I wish…? The man didn’t have to talk about it. I mean, it’s his prerogative,” Pine said. “I had awful skin as a teenager, and then after college, my skin started breaking out again.”

He continued, “I was going out for The O.C., which is a teenage melodrama. I can understand that they wanted to have pretty people doing pretty things, and bad acne is not a key [to that].”

“I don’t want to say, ‘I’m grateful for not having landed [the part].’ I’m alright, but it is a little PTSD,” he further added. “It’s no fun having bad skin. … It was one of the most traumatic points of my life, but it is my story, man.”

The role ultimately went to Ben McKenzie, who starred alongside Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Melinda Clarke, Tate Donovan and Alan Dale, with Chris Pratt and Olivia Wilde in recurring roles.

The O.C. ran for four seasons from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007.

Welcome to The O.C.: An Oral History was released in November 2023 in honour of the show’s 20th anniversary.