Wild Child to KO The O.C.

In tonight's episode of Fox's The O.C. (airing at 9 pm/ET, not that we really need to tell you that!), the Cohen clan suffers a shock. Does Ryan smile? Does Sandy pluck? Does Seth shut up? Nope. Kirsten's incorrigible kid sister swings into town. "Hailey is a rebellious wild child," her portrayer, Amanda Righetti, tells TV Guide Online. "She's a freeloader living off Dad's money."

In other words, she's Paris Hilton! "Yeah, I guess you could sort of view her like that," the actress reluctantly agrees. "She kind of does her own thing [and makes a habit of] involving herself with people she shouldn't be involved with."

Sounds like our kinda gal. So, although Righetti is only scheduled to appear on the hit soap through the end of next month, there's every chance that she'll be back again. She certainly deserves a break! A year ago, she headlined the Fox pilot No Place Like Home (from the creators of Party of Five) and thought her moment had arrived. "Unfortunately," she sighs, "it didn't get picked up."

However, the network was so high on the newbie that it kept her on the payroll, signing her to a development deal. "That took me by surprise," she recalls. "I had no idea that they felt that way. [Now, finally], The O.C. will be my first thing that's broadcast." If she's half as charismatic as her bosses seem to think she is, it won't be her last.