Whatever Happened To....The O.C.'s Original Kaitlin

Posted on the 20 October 2012 by Kittyfairy @KittyFairy

When nice guy trouble maker Ryan Atwood moved into The O.C. back in 2003, the girl next door had a kid sister who was seen a couple of times before her ever-so-loving parents booted her off to Boarding School and wasn't seen for roughly a season and a half, before she reappeared with a new face, having gained a few years in age (oh, the power of television) and suddenly had herself some actual storylines.
Willa Holland is the actress most recognised for playing Marissa's wayward younger sister, however in the days when the character resembled Coronation Street's Rosie and Sophie Webster (y'know, heard of but never ever seen!), another actress played the role. Her name was Shailene Woodley, but what happened to the young actress? Where did she disappear to?
Since leaving The O.C. Woodley has had a few quite small bit parts, but it wasn't until last year that she finally scored her real breakthrough role, playing Alexandra King opposite George Clooney in The Descendants.
Woodley was so highly regarded for her role, that she was nominated for a number of awards, including:

  • - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture at the Golden Globes
  • - Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards
  • - Numerous Film Association and Critic Awards

A couple of weeks ago, it was rumoured Director Marc Webb was touting Woodley to play the coveted role of Mary Jane (M.J.) in the sequel to this years The Amazing Spider Man starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, which is expected to be released in April 2014. And today it has been confirmed that Woodley will indeed take the role.
For an actress who is probably quite often forgotten, for her role in The O.C. it is great to see that her talents are being so widely recognised.
So, let's just say that the original Kaitlin Cooper did a lot of growing up, and potentially has a much better career ahead of her, compared to older sister Mischa Barton - what happened to her again...?
Meanwhile, the "other" Kaitlin Cooper - Willa Holland - is currently starring in DC Comics' TV Series Arrow, as well as voicing the character of Aqua in various Kingdom Hearts games.