The OC's Jimmy Cooper has long been considered one of TV's worst dads of all time, and now actor Tate Donovan has thanked his co-stars for giving him the space to heal from the scars he developed during his time on the hit teen drama.
Rachel Bilson, who played Summer Roberts, and Melinda Clarke, who starred as Julie Cooper, Jimmy's ex-wife, host the podcast 'Welcome to the OC,' which has seen the pair joined by their former co-stars as they rewatch all four seasons.
Speaking to HELLO! on the Screen Actors Guild picket line at Fox Studios on Wednesday September 6, Tate acknowledged that although he rarely gets to see the cast, he is thankful for the pair allowing him to process some of the "scars" he developed after his short time on the show.
"We have all sort of reunited via the podcast and it's been really fun, and a very healing experience," he admitted. "Lots of stuff goes on during a show and years go by and you sometimes have scars – like, I got fired! I had mixed feelings [about being written off.] I felt like a failure. But seeing everybody again has been really beautiful and fun."
Tate was a series regular in season one, where it was discovered Jimmy had been embezzling funds, which impacts the reputation of his family, in particular his eldest daughter Marissa. Jimmy left Newport Beach for Hawaii during season two; Tate has previously revealed how he was told by producers that his character would be "phased out" during season two, which left him "gutted".
He made a few appearances in season three and two in season four; an alternate universe episode that questioned what would have happened in Newport if Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) never showed up, and an episode with flashbacks. He also directed several episodes.
At the picket line on Wednesday – which was a special OC-themed picket with The OC soundtrack being played, and a hot dog stand available for picketeers – Willa Holland, who played Kaitlin Cooper, and Autumn Reeser, who joined the show in season four as Taylor Townsend, walked alongside showrunner Josh Schwartz, Tate, and Melinda.
"We're making a stand against corporate greed and dehumanization," Autumn told HELLO!
Tate's many other notable credits include his recurring role as Joshua, boyfriend to Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) on Friends, and more recently CBS' FBI.
The OC ran for four years between 2003 and 2007 on Fox. It followed Ryan, a troubled teen who is unexpectedly adopted by the wealthy Sandy and Kristen Cohen (Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan), who have a teen son the same age as Ryan, Seth (Adam Brody). Although widely different, Seth and Ryan become friends, and Ryan's arrival in the affluent community brings change for everyone.