Melinda Clarke/Instagram ; Autumn Reeser/Instagram The O.C.ran for four seasons from 2003 to 2007 The drama followed teenagers in Orange County and starred Ben McKenzie, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson and more Many of the cast members have gone on to welcome children of their own The O.C.cast has gone from high school rebels to moms and dads. The series — which ran for four seasons from 2003 to 2007 — followed teenagers (and their beleaguered parents) in Orange County, Calif. However, since the show wrapped, many of the cast members — includingBen McKenzie,Adam Brody,Rachel Bilsonand more — have gone on to become parents themselves. Meanwhile, some of the other stars already had children while the show was filming. ActressKathryn Gallagher— who is the daughter of the show's patriarchPeter Gallagher— said in a June 2024TikTokthat she often has fans come up to her to discuss her dad's fictional parenting skills. "I have a lot of people that come up to me and they say, 'Your dad raised me,' which is cool 'cause he also raised me, and I like to think that he did a really good job," she said. Here's everything to know about the 18 kids ofThe O.C.cast members. 01 of 10 Morena Baccarin/Instagram McKenzie may have played a troubled teen on the hit Fox series, but in real life, he's a loving dad to histhree kidswith wifeMorena Baccarin. The actor first became a father on March 2, 2016, with the birth of daughter Frances Laiz Setta Schenkkan. "It's exciting and it's something that I've wanted for a long time," the actor previously told PEOPLE. "I'm very happy about all of it. Poop, diapers and everything. It'll be fun." Five years later, the couple announced on March 9, 2021, that they had welcomed theirsecond child together, a son named Arthur. McKenzie is also a stepdad to Baccarin's son from a previous marriage, Julius Setta Chick. According to Baccarin, McKenzie had no trouble adapting to parenthood. "It's wonderful to watch him every day with our kids," she told PEOPLE in April 2018. "I couldn't ask for a better partner." 02 of 10 Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Brody, who played Ryan's trusty sidekick Seth Cohen, sharestwo childrenwith his wife andGossip GirlalumLeighton Meester. The couple welcomed daughter Arlo Day Brody on Aug. 4, 2015, one year after getting married. A son, whose name has not been revealed, followed five years later. "He's a dream boy," Brody confirmed on Twitch in September 2020. 03 of 10 Michael Kovac/Getty ; Rachel Bilson/Instagram Bilson welcomeddaughter Briar Rose Christensenwith exHayden Christensenon Oct. 29, 2014. Briar — who is named for Disney's Princess Aurora — already has her sights set on following in her famous parents' footsteps. "She's already said she wants to act and I'm like, 'How do we handle this?' " Bilson said on theBetches Momspodcast in 2021. But Briar is extremely close to her mom. "It's so crazy,we're pretty inseparable," Bilson told PEOPLE in July 2024. "She talks to me. She is very open and will talk to me about things or what kids say at school. It's just really nice that we have that dialogue." 04 of 10 Peter Gallagher/Instagram Peter was a dad long beforeThe O.C.came along: He andwife Paula Harwoodwelcomed son James Gallagher on April 23, 1990, and daughter Kathryn Gallagher on July 23, 1993. Now all grown up, Kathryn is an actress known forYouandWoman of the Hour. James, meanwhile, works behind the camera, directing 2021'sPauletteand2023'sSongs About Fucking. Peter is always there for his children: Heaccompanied Kathrynon the red carpet at the 2021Tony Awardsfor her first-ever nomination forJagged Little Pill. (She also won aGrammyfor Best Musical Theater Album for the performance.) In Kathryn's June 2024 TikTok, the actress, who is bisexual, asked her dad to repeat the words he shared with her when she first came out. "I think I said, 'I want you to feel loved, and I want you to have an ally in life,' " he said. "I want it to be somebody that brings out the best in you, and you bring out the best in them, and you're worth it. You deserve to be happy." 05 of 10 Jemal Countess/Getty The O.C.matriarch Kirsten Cohen, a.k.a. Kelly Rowan, is also a mother off-sceen. On April 28, 2008, she gave birth to daughter Braelin Thomson, PEOPLE reported at the time. She shares her daughter with her ex-husband, billionaire David Thomson. Though the actress has kept her relationship with Braelin largely private, she opened up toPNI Atlantic Newsin January 2010 about being a working mom. "I always take her with me everywhere," she said. "Right now, she's more what I've been focusing on, because it goes by so quickly." 06 of 10 Melinda Clarke/Instagram Melinda Clarke, who played themother of Marissa Cooper(Mischa Barton), was already a mom to daughter Kathryn Grace when she started onThe O.C., whom she shares with ex-husband Ernie Mirich. Kathryn was around on the set so often that she believed Barton was her real sister, she toldTV Guidein May 2005. "She thinks Mischa is her sister, since she plays my daughter on the show, and she actually has called 'action' and 'cut' on set before," she said. "She's kind of bossy." While the actress said her daughter found her character of Julie Cooper to be "me-e-e-e-an," their real-life relationship is one full of love. "Motherhood has given me a connection with my daughter that is deeper than I have ever experienced with any other human being," she told the publication in 2005. "It's always growing and mind-blowing." 07 of 10 Tate Donovan/Instagram Clarke's fictional husband, Jimmy Cooper (Tate Donovan), became a dad shortly after playing one onThe O.C. Donovan welcomed son Luc in 2005, two years after the series first aired. The actor regularly posts about Luc's athletic abilities on social media. "He was #3 on the field but #1 in our hearts," he captioned a November 2019Instagrampost from one of Luc's football games, which included wife Corry Scheuerman. In April 2025, he shared that his son was in college. "We've got a son in college right now, so we are kind of focused on, 'What does he want to do?' " he said. "We'd love to take a trip with him, that would be great." 08 of 10 Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Alan Dale, who starred as Kirsten Cohen's wealthy father Caleb Nichol, has all boys. In July 2019, he toldGMTVthat he had "two older sons," Simon and Matthew Dale, whom he shares with ex-wife Claire Dale, and "two little fellas," Nick and Daniel Dale, with wife Tracey Dale. TheUgly Bettystar opened up toWoman's Dayabout parenting in April 2015. "What having kids forces you to do is get up early, take them to water polo or yachting. You've got to go and do things," he said. He also shared how difficult it was for him to film on location while his family was back home, recalling that his son Nick told him, "Every night you were away, Dad, I would sit in bed and sing songs. I sang a different song every night for you." 09 of 10 Chris Carmack/Instagram Chris Carmackmay have played the show bully, but at home, he's the father of two girls. He and now-wife Erin Slaver became parents on Sept. 3, 2016 with the birth of daughter Kai. "Thank you for making us parents," theGrey's Anatomyalum wrote viasocial mediain a sweet birthday tribute in September 2024. "It has been the most important and wonderful job of our lives." The twosome announced that theirfamily had grown by oneon May 10, 2022. "We had a baby! Cielle Estee Carmack, (means the sky and the stars) and that's exactly what she is to us!" the couple wrote in a jointInstagrampost. 10 of 10 Autumn Reeser/Instagram Autumn Reeser, who played Taylor Townsend, became a mom on May 10th, 2011, when she welcomed her son Finneus James Warren. "Little 'Finn' was born into the world," Reeser's now-ex Jesse Warren announced on X at the time. Reeser delivered her second child, Dashiell Ford Warren, at home on Nov. 25, 2013. "After a swift home birth, Dashiell joined our family at 2:45am this morning. We are SO thrilled!!!" she announced onX. In December 2024, she shared that she's still learning how to raise two boys after having grown up in a house full of women. "I absolutely think [Dashiell] was a gift sent to me to teach me about the masculine journey," she said in an episode of theGood Journeys with Ben Vealpodcast. "My little one, we've really had to figure out how to meet each other." According to Reeser, she and Dashiell don't hold anything back. "I think what I do really well as a parent is I'm just honest," she said. "The gift of this child is absolute, unfiltered raw honesty." Read the original article onPeople