It’s now been 20 years since Luke (Chris Carmack) welcomed Ryan (Ben McKenzie) to a certain beachside county in profane fashion. “Welcome to the O.C., bitch!” Luke snarked, after he and his cronies trounced Ryan in a fistfight.
That moment in the pilot episode of Fox’s The O.C. — airing on August 5, 2003 — set the tone as Ryan left behind a troubled childhood to move in with Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) in the moneyed Newport Beach, California. As the teen settled in to the unfamiliar new environment, he met Sandy and Kirsten’s son, Seth (Adam Brody); Seth’s longtime crush, Summer (Rachel Bilson); girl-next-door Marissa (Mischa Barton); and other privileged youths.
The teen drama aired four seasons before getting evicted by Fox. But as you’ll see if you rewatch The O.C. on Max, numerous famous faces turned up on the show during that abbreviated run. Below are 15 of those familiar guest stars.