Rachel Bilson
Bilson painted a picture of Summer as a highly involved and devoted mother. She envisions Summer as a key figure in her child’s school community, potentially even serving as PTA president. This role aligns perfectly with Summer’s character traits from the series, showcasing her strong commitment to both her family and her community. Bilson’s portrayal of Summer as an engaged and proactive parent suggests that these qualities would persist into her adult life.
In addition to her mothering role, Bilson speculated that Summer might also be working in education. However, rather than envisioning her as a science or drama teacher, Bilson hinted that Summer’s academic prowess could be applied in other, unspecified roles within the education sector. Bilson noted Summer’s strong academic background from the show and imagined her thriving in a classroom setting, though she left the specifics open to interpretation.
Bilson also discussed her personal life, mentioning that she has a 9-year-old daughter, Briar Rose, with her ex-husband Hayden Christensen. She reflected on why she feels that her real-life parenting style would differ from Summer’s approach.
The event also marked Bilson’s collaboration with 21Seeds, coinciding with the 21st anniversary of The O.C. She expressed how natural the partnership felt and praised the opportunity to reconnect with the show’s creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Bilson found working with them enjoyable and noted their deep understanding of her personality, which made the collaboration seamless.
Reflecting on her return to the role, Bilson described how effortlessly she slipped back into character, relishing the chance to revisit her famous lines and engage in the creative process. Her enthusiasm for the character and the show remains strong, as she expressed excitement about the possibility of an O.C. revival and openness to any future projects related to the series.
