Benjamin McKenzie | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

The creator of The O.C. is sharing some new details about the hit teen drama!

This week, former The O.C. co-stars Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke, who played Summer Roberts and Julie Cooper respectively, launched their brand new podcast, Welcome to The O.C., Bitches.

On the podcast’s first episode, the ladies were joined by the show’s creator Josh Schwartz.

During their conversation, Josh talked about the show’s casting process, revealing that Ben McKenzie and Mischa Barton weren’t the top choices to play Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper, before sharing which other actors were also up for those parts.

Click through the slideshow to find out who was almost cast as Ryan and Marissa on The O.C.!

Morena Baccarin is pregnant!

The 41-year-old actress revealed that she and husband Ben McKenzie, 42, are expecting another child during an interview on The Talk, which aired on Friday (December 11).

Morena opened up to the hosts about date nights with Ben and then ended the segment by standing up to reveal her baby bump. She said, “I think that date was pretty successful.” Watch the full video below!

This will be the third child for Morena, who has a seven-year-old son named Julius with her ex-husband Austin Chick and a four-year-old daughter named Frances with Ben.

Morena and Ben met while working on the Fox series Gotham, which ran for five seasons from 2014 through 2019. The couple tied the knot back in 2017.

Congratulations to the happy couple on this super exciting news!

It’s Ben McKenzie‘s 42nd birthday and his wife Morena Baccarin posted something super cute on Twitter to celebrate the special day.

The 41-year-old actress, who starred alongside Ben in the Fox series Gotham, shared a selfie that he snapped. She added the following message: “Happy birthday my love!! 2020 doesn’t count so you don’t age this year.”

Ben quoted the tweeted and said, “Not how it works, but I’ll take it. Thanks for using a pic of me from when I was younger :).”

Ben and Morena fell in love on the set of Gotham following her split from her first husband. They welcomed a daughter in March 2016 and then they got married in June 2017, on Morena‘s birthday!

In a recent interview, Morena opened up about the first time that she met Ben.

Ben McKenzie is reflecting on his time on The O.C.

The 41-year-old actor chatted with PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing about his hit teen drama that ran from 2003 to 2007.

“It was a rocket ship,” Ben said, “and I think we all kind of hung on for dear life.”

Starring as Ryan Atwood, Ben‘s role in The O.C. was his first TV role to last more than one episode.

“Is this normal?” Ben said he asked himself when the show became a huge hit. “This seems like it’s going well, but I have nothing to compare it to. Is it going to be okay?”

Later in the interview, Ben looked back at co-star Mischa Barton‘s surprising exit from the show.

“It was…very odd to have someone who was in it from the beginning leave, but you know, it was dramatic in all the O.C. ways,” Ben said.

Mischa‘s character Marissa Copper was killed off in a car explosion in the season three finale. Ryan pulled Marissa out of the car and she died in his arms.

Looking back on that scene, Ben thinks the show “gave her a proper sendoff, hopefully.”

Morena Baccarin didn’t meet Ben McKenzie on the set of Gotham, but actually on the set of The O.C.

The 41-year-old actress, who is promoting her new film with Gerard Butler, Greenland, is opening up about her love story with Ben.

Apparently sparks didn’t fly the first time they met: “I joke with Ben all the time, my husband, that if he had just paid attention to me when I was doing episodes of his TV show, he could have had me in my prime.”

However, she and Ben didn’t share any major scenes together on the show, but she had another plan to meet him then.

“We never acted together,” she adds. “I really just honestly wanted to say hello and meet him, and he doesn’t even remember the encounter so that just goes to show you how far below the scale I was at this point.”

Morena and Ben met again seven years after The O.C. on Gotham, which ended in 2019.

Just before quarantine, Morena and Ben stepped out to the Broadway premiere of Grand Horizons

Ben McKenzie is all smiles as he poses for a photograph with a bowling ball while attending Second Stage Theater’s All-Star Bowling Classic Fundraiser held at Lucky Strike on Monday evening (February 10) in New York City.

The 41-year-old actor was joined at the benefit by Burn This‘ Brandon Uranowitz, Scandal‘s Tony Goldwyn, Ain’t Too Proud‘s Derrick Baskin, Jessica Jones‘ Jessica Frances Dukes and Private Life‘s Kayli Carter.

All proceeds benefit Second Stage Theater’s award-winning artistic and educational programming.

Ben is currently is making his Broadway debut in the play Grand Horizons. The limited run ends officially on March 1.

Ben McKenzie is all smiles in a suit while attending the opening night party for his Broadway debut in Grand Horizons held at The Ribbon restaurant on Thursday (January 23) in New York City.

The 41-year-old actor got support form his wife Morena Baccarin at the event as she stepped out to show her support alongside guests Kate Walsh, Edie Falco and her Nurse Jackie co-star Stephen Wallem.

Also in attendance were Ben‘s co-stars Jane Alexander, James Cromwell, Priscilla Lopez, Maulik Pancholy, Ashley Park, and Michael Urie and playwright Bess Wohl.

Here is the synopsis: Bill and Nancy have spent fifty full years as husband and wife. They practically breathe in unison, and can anticipate each other’s every sigh, snore and sneeze. But just as they settle comfortably into their new home in Grand Horizons, the unthinkable happens: Nancy suddenly wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the shocking news, they are forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best.

Grand Horizons is currently in previews at Second Stage Theater’s Hayes Theater and opening night is on January 23. The limited run ends March 1.

READ MORE: Ben McKenzie & Morena Baccarin Couple Up at a Broadway Opening Night!