Rachel Bilson is sharing some off-screen drama that took place on the set of The O.C. During the latest episode of Welcome to the O.C., B**ches, Bilson and Melinda Clarke’s re-watch podcast, the 39-year-old actress revealed that the love triangle that played out on the teen drama was reflected in real life.
Bilson starred on The O.C. as Summer Roberts from 2003 to 2007. During the first season of the show, Bilson’s character was part of a love triangle with Adam Brody’s Seth Cohen and Samaire Armstrong’s Anna Stern. In real life, Bilson and Brody started dating while filming season one of the show, before breaking up in 2006.
While discussing season one, episode 11 of The O.C., which is titled “The Homecoming,” Bilson opened up about how one scene brought back real emotions for her. Throughout the episode, Brody’s Seth went back-and-forth between Summer and Anna, flirting and making out with each of them behind the other’s back.
“I think it’s really funny in this episode with Seth and his two ladies,” Bilson said. “… When I was watching it, there’s a scene with Seth and Summer when we’re in the pool house, I think we’re making out and we’re laughing. I can tell that we’re really laughing. You know what I mean? I can tell it’s a real moment when Adam and I were messing around, as opposed to Seth and Summer.”
“And then, when Seth is in the bedroom with Anna and she goes to kiss him, I see Samaire slip tongue! I’m watching it and she slipped the tongue and me, I get transported back to 18 years ago and I get a little jealous!” she admitted. “I’m like, ‘Um, what are you doing slipping tongue in his mouth?’ It was like the real-life triangle playing out as I’m watching it. I saw the tongue and I was like, ‘There’s no tongue in television!'”
Bilson admitted that that love triangle, between herself, Brody and Armstrong, “definitely played out a little bit in real life for a minute.”
“Not really, really, but I remember the tension with Samaire and I, a little bit,” Bilson said. “‘Cause it was just this triangle or whatever.”
When ET spoke to Bilson in April, she expressed excitement about discovering the show “for the first time” as a result of the podcast, noting that doing so made her “emotional and nostalgic.”
“It’s gonna be really fun just sharing all of the things that we went through and learning all of these things, maybe as some of you are when you watch it for the first time,” she shared. “… We were all going through it together and we really did love each other and we were so fortunate to have such an amazing group.”
