Peter Gallagher, the man who made eyebrows cool before they were even a thing, recently reminisced about his days on The O.C.—specifically, about playing unofficial dad and eyebrow enthusiast Sandy Cohen. Turns out, Peter didn’t just dish out tough love and bagels onscreen; he was also like a human shield, protecting Mischa Barton from the wild beast that is first-time fame.
In a recent interview, Peter, now 69, admitted he felt “very protective” of Mischa, who was a mere 16 years old when she burst into the spotlight as Marissa Cooper, resident troubled teen and fashion icon. Picture this: you’re just a kid, and boom! Suddenly, everyone’s staring, your every move is splashed across magazines, and you’re trying to stay sane in California, which sounds like a plot twist The O.C. writers would throw in mid-season.
“I’ve always felt very protective of her,” Peter shared with The Independent. “First fame is like getting hit by a glitter-filled freight train. It’s toxic. It can kill you. She was 16, and just the fact that she’s alive today… I’m just so grateful.” This guy deserves a Gold Star in Protective Energy.
Now, Peter knows a thing or two about fame, but back in his day, things were a bit different. Fun fact: Gallagher was out there singing and dancing as Danny Zuko in Grease on Broadway in the ’70s—before TikTok, Instagram, or even critics knew who he was! “It was a great time to be young and doing Grease because nobody was watching!” Peter quipped. “I did 500 performances of that show, and trust me, it wasn’t going to make you famous or ruin you. It was basically Fame Lite™.”
While the 2000s threw their brightest, wildest lights on Mischa, Gallagher’s era was more of a soft-focus montage with a killer soundtrack.
