It's Geek to Me

All About

The O.C.

Get the latest photos, news, and more

Does the diminishing geek factor up the chances we'll see Seth get together with Summer?
The way it's progressed, it does seem totally possible. It's sort of a love/hate relationship. I think I get a little confident, we have it out, and by the time she decides to like me, I don't know if Seth might have moved on by then or not.

You're 23, and playing a teenager. How worried are you about falling into the ''90210'' trap, where you're 30 and still acting as a 19-year-old?
That was my biggest concern about doing the show. Those people on ''90210'' didn't look old -- for their age. But you start looking too old to be carrying a backpack, and your hair starts receding a little bit -- which it does at 25, but isn't supposed to at 16. But we're all in our 20s, except for Mischa [Barton], so I'm not the old one. Josh was actually going to make us seniors in high school if Fox okayed it, and I was jumping for joy. But we're juniors, Goddamn it. [laughs] Josh did say that he won't keep us in the same grade two years in a row. He has the same concerns.

How do you feel about Ryan Atwood being sold as the next Luke Perry or Russell Crowe?
I heard he's the reincarnation of Forest Whitaker. I don't know where you got your information.

How would you compare ''The O.C.'' to ''The Gilmore Girls''?
I'll say this very simply, so I don't get into any trouble: I have a hundred times more creative input on this show than I did on ''Gilmore Girls'' -- than anyone does on ''Gilmore Girls.'' Other than that, the style is different, so the style of acting changes. ''Gilmore Girls'' is really fast-paced, and on ''The O.C.,'' you get more beats in there. Sometimes I'll be going really fast, doing ''Gilmore Girls,'' and they'll be like, ''Slow down.'' Sorry, wrong show.