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During the early 2000s, Rachel Bilson was the “it” girl of the television world alongside her best friend and co-star, Mischa Barton. Simply put, everyone was talking about the hit drama about a bunch of entitled California teens who were often up to no good. Because of the show, Rachel and her co-stars were such huge celebrities that they fast became household names and of course, gossip fodder. Everyone wanted to know everything there was to know about these beautiful, talented actors and actresses with a few skeletons in their closets themselves.
But fast forward almost two decades later, and Rachel, Mischa and the rest of the gang aren’t the huge stars you’d think they would be. As a matter of fact, most of them are struggling to find good work on television and as a result, have a hard time keeping their names in the headlines. Yet, with Rachel you would think that it would be different. Compared to everyone else, she was the only one who managed to somehow dip her toes into the Hollywood mainstream and have a high-profiled romance. Yet, Hollywood has failed to really take notice of her. Here are 15 reasons why.
She’s Not Scandalous
Unlike many of her Hollywood peers, Rachel Bilson has never really been in a scandal during her time in the spotlight. As a matter of fact, no one can recall the last time she ever did anything that was the least bit controversial. The only thing that people have gossiped about though, is her bizarre marriage to Hayden Christensen. And because of it, a lot of people aren’t surprised that they broke up. “Hayden never wanted to join her for special occasions, like weddings,” one source explained to People Magazine. “Rachel had to attend by herself. Her friends thought she could do better.”
If that weren’t enough, Hayden “was so protective of their daughter, the source says he avoided traveling by plane, choosing instead to drive across the country when necessary to avoid paparazzi at the airport,” People says.
She Keeps Her Personal Life Private
As mentioned about, Hayden and Rachel were very adamant about keeping their private life private. They rarely spoke about their marriage in interviews and have done whatever it takes to keep their one daughter, Briar Rose, out of the spotlight. In fact, she doesn’t like speaking about her family life at all in interviews or in front of the cameras. That’s just not her cup of tea.
Plus, she doesn’t have the extra household help that most Hollywood stars have for their families. She told Entertainment Weekly in an interview, “While I was filming Nashville on and off for four months, I was lucky enough that my mum could come with me and my daughter, my granny-nanny we call her. We don't have help so it was wonderful that we got to do that."
She Can’t Get Out Of The Television Sphere
A lot of people think that one of the reasons why Rachel Bilson failed to make it in Hollywood is simply because she can’t make the transition from television work to movies. Simply put, she will always be known as “that television girl.” While some people are okay with it, it’s hard to tell how Rachel feels about it. After all, she was married to a huge Star Wars actor for the longest time.
According to Levo, she said, “I don’t like incorporating the word failure into my vocabulary. I say you look at everything as a positive, find the good in it. I remember not getting a part when I was first starting out and I was crushed but if I had gotten that role I wouldn't have gotten The O.C."
Dating Hayden Christensen Didn’t Help
Speaking of Hayden Christensen, you’d think that being married to him would have helped Rachel climb the social ladder in Hollywood. But as we all know, it’s easier to take one step back than forwards when it comes to that slippery slope. In addition, their relationship was very rocky behind the scenes, too, so that didn’t help.
"They have very different lifestyles and interests," the source from People said. "Rachel is very social and likes to hang out with friends. Hayden is reclusive and off the grid. She accepted that for a long time, but sometimes it was a lot to handle. Hayden can gets depressed and is extremely neurotic and it was bringing her down. She felt like she wanted something different and easier. She tried to make it work for years but just got tired of this being her life."
Her Drama With Emma Roberts
If there is one scandal that Hollywood has managed to associate Rachel Bilson with, it’s her alleged love triangle between her, her husband Hayden Christensen and actress Emma Roberts. Reports indicated that Rachel was livid when she found text messages from Emma on Hayden’s phone! According to Us Weekly, “Bilson found text messages between Christensen and his Little Italy costar, which led the Hart of Dixie alum to believe that the two were having an inappropriate relationship.”
The reports have never been confirmed, but it didn’t take Rachel very long to pull the plug on their marriage. They separated back in 2017. “She’s full-time back in L.A. He’s in Toronto,” a source told Us at the time. “They’ve been on the outs for a couple of months. They are completely, officially done.”
She’s Open To The O.C. Reunion
At this point it’s safe to say that Rachel isn’t looking to push forward in Hollywood. But then again, anything can happen at anytime. But at the same time, she is open to doing a reunion for The O.C. After all, it’s the one show that has helped make her the household name that she is today. She would love to revisit with old co-stars, too.
"I'm always open to things," she told E! News. "I don't know what it would look like with our characters being old now. We were riding skateboards on the pier; I don't know what they do now as 30-year-olds. But it would be nice to see everybody again. I hear things through people and I know people are doing well. Ben and Adam both have kids. Everyone's growing up."
Her Music Career Never Took Off
Very few people know this, but Rachel Bilson is also a very talented musician and singer. But unfortunately, she’s never really had the opportunity to show off her singing chops. Even though she’s starred on one season of Nashville, she didn’t get to sing in front of the cameras. Some of her fans believe that Rachel would be better off as a singer than an actress but for some reason, she never decided to go down that path in her career. And according to both her fans and critics, it’s a real shame though because it would have given her the star power that she rightfully deserves.
Plus, she wasn’t meant to be on The O.C. Digital Spy said, “Summer was only meant to appear in a couple of episodes, but she soon became the star of the show thanks to Rachel.”
She’s Afraid To Take Risks
Another reason why Rachel Bilson’s career never really took off is because according to some critics, she’s afraid to take risks. She’s “too vanilla,” so to speak. Now, that’s not such a bad thing, but when you are in Hollywood, you have to hold your ground. You also have to be prepared to get out of your comfort zone, too.
Also, Rachel has admitted that she’s not very good at communicating exactly what she wants. She told Women’s Health, “It’s caused a lot of problems lately. It’s really important to communicate from the beginning – set it up for the relationship to succeed. Then friendship is crucial, getting to know each other and having each other’s back. Because look at us: we all accept behavior from men that we wouldn’t from friends. Especially in the beginning.”
She’s Never Had A Breakout Role
Here’s the biggest problem: Rachel Bilson has never really had a breakout role. And you can’t count her role as Summer from The O.C. because that was her debut role.
But at least she’s gotten good reviews for the work that she’s done. Well sort of. Pop Sugar had this to say about her role in The CW’s Hart of Dixie back in 2011: “Bilson has no problem playing a beautiful girl with a side of sass, but Zoe's personality makes it hard to take her seriously as a doctor. Zoe is supposed to have graduated at the top of her class at medical school, but she often comes across as a valley girl."
She Looks "Too Young"
Here’s a problem that a lot of Hollywood actors and actresses wish they had: Rachel Bilson just looks too young! While some people wish they had this dilemma, for Rachel, it’s hurt more than helped her in her career. She’s had a hard time getting cast for some roles just because she doesn’t look “old enough” for them.
But if there is one thing that is changing her (or aging her), it’s motherhood. She told E! Online, “Pre-mom you have a little bit more time to put yourself together. Now being a mother it's literally whatever is on the floor, and that usually consists of wearing the same thing for three days in a row." She also added, “Put your phone away and just spend time with your kid because it goes so fast when they're little."
She Refuses To Conform
Rachel Bilson is one television actress that refuses to conform or be like everyone else in the celebrity world. She’s said no to plastic surgery and what’s more, she just doesn’t “get” the Hollywood and Los Angeles lifestyle. It’s not her thing. She’s always stayed close to her roots and did her own thing, even if it was not in line with everyone else in L.A. But as we all know, Hollywood is a thick crowd. If you are not one of them, then you will simply never be with them.
She told Women’s Health, “Everyone is obsessed with kale and hiking. And there’s a massive amount of juicing going on. I love my juice, but pick up a piece of bread here and there’s a sharp intake of breath. Every pudding is shared between eight. I don’t like to share my dessert!”
She Doesn’t Do Hollywood Parties
If you’ve never seen Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen on the red carpet together or at a Hollywood party, it’s for a good reason. Because the ex-couple hated that part of the business. Plus, Rachel has had some pretty awful experiences at L.A. parties. She might look like she’s a party girl from The O.C., but in reality, she’s far from it. She would rather sit at home and watch her favorite shows on Netflix instead. She hates mingling with the A-crowd or people she simply doesn’t know.
According to Us Weekly a few years back, she said, “A few years ago I was at a party and this guy threw me over his shoulder, ran across the street, put me in his car, and stuck his tongue in my mouth.”
She’s Never Used Her Connections
Very few people know this, but Rachel Bilson actually comes from a family with very strong show business connections. Her father comes from a Hollywood family: her parental grandfather used to be a producer and director. Her great-grandfather used to work for RKO pictures in Leeds in the U.K. Her great grandmother used to be a screenwriter. Rachel also went to high school with quite a few famous peers including actress Kirsten Dunst, actor Rami Malek, and American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee. In other words, she’s always been in good company.
But at the same time, she’s never used her connections or spoken about her family. She once told People Magazine, “I'm the fourth generation to be in show business. It's pretty neat; it's nice to have that family history.”
She’s Not Into Social Media
It took Rachel Bilson a very long time to join social media. She’s just not into the aspect of sharing photos or talking about what goes on behind the scenes for her. Yet, if you want to get cast in Hollywood and television movies these days, everyone knows that you need a strong social media presence with a good number of followers. It’s just the way that the industry works these days. Even though Rachel has Instagram, she doesn’t have Twitter account and doesn’t plan on having one, either.
As KpopStarz like to put it, “Her fans are wondering, is this social media move to boost her career or just to show off her baby girl Briar Rose? Either way, Hart of Dixie fans are happy to see a glimpse into her private family life.”
Mischa Barton Stole Her Thunder
One huge reason why Rachel Bilson has never really made it in Hollywood (or why Hollywood has never really given her a chance) is because her former co-star Mischa Barton basically stole her thunder. Now, that’s not to say that Mischa has a better or more prominent career than Rachel does (because she doesn’t). Instead, all of Mischa’s scandalous headlines have basically shoved Rachel to the side. It’s almost as if Rachel is the ignored child from The O.C. and that’s the way Hollywood has treated her.
As Digital Spy puts it, “Having been a promising child actress, Mischa hasn't quite capitalized on the success that playing Marissa Cooper in The O.C. brought. She has had various legal and health issues in the years following her character's [end], but she has continued to act in a large amount of independent movies and one-off TV episodes, but nothing that you'll remember (except maybe a cameo in St Trinians).”
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