Nearly two decades since their hit Fox series The O.C. ended, OG stars Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan staged a reunion of sorts right before the 4th of July holiday.
Gallagher, 70, shared a sweet snap of him and Rowan, 60, standing in front of a green bush via Instagram on Friday, July 3.
“Look who came to visit! Kirsten and Sandy are wishing you all a Happy Fourth! […] and sending you our love,” Gallagher wrote in the caption. “Great to see her, her lovely family and long-time pal. Here’s to the next occasion!”
That prompted a wellspring of love from Gallagher’s 143K followers, including some requesting that the two former costars return to the show, which still has die-hard fans in 2026.
The O.C. was originally broadcast on Fox from 2003 to 2007. The show initially centered around Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a rebellious teenager from Chino, California, who is taken in by Sandy and Kirsten Cohen (Gallagher and Rowan), who live in the ultra-rich Newport Beach. Together with their geeky teen son Seth (Adam Brody), the Cohens help Ryan ingratiate himself into Newport Beach’s high society, where he eventually befriends and dates self-destructive socialite, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton).
Speculation about a potential O.C. reboot has circulated for years. In 2021, while visiting costars Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke’s podcast, “Welcome to the O.C., Bitches!,” Brody commented on whether or not a revival could work.
“I kind of don’t think it can be done because socially we’re in a different place and we’re in a more conscious place,” Brody, 46, said. “While The O.C. claims to be — in a similar sense as a Gossip Girl — while it would sort of say it’s a critique, it’s not. It’s a celebration — it’s a celebration of affluence in my opinion.”
At the premiere of Crime 101 in February 2026, costar Tate Donovan, who played Jimmy Cooper on the hit series, was more receptive to a potential return to the iconic teen drama. When E! News’ Erin Lim Rhodes asked if he would join a reboot, Donovan, 62, responded, “Oh yeah. [Creator] Josh Schwartz is an amazing guy. All those people would be so fun, but what would I play? The grandfather?”
While an official O.C. revival isn’t in active development, fans can enjoy Gallagher and Rowan’s nostalgic reunion right before America’s 250th birthday.
