Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
In his role as Newport Living's cynical, damaged editor, Carter Buckley, Billy Campbell has stirred up mixed feelings for fans of The O.C. On the one hand, Sandy and Kirsten Cohen's marriage comes as close to sacred as you get in Newport. On the other, the tale of Kirsten's secret attraction to Carter has showcased Kelly Rowan in a refreshingly unsaintly way. Last week, despite finding herself in a romantic hotel room in the intoxicating presence of a wine-marinated Carter, Kirsten nobly avoided temptation. But how long can Mrs. Cohen hold out? That's the question. When Campell came aboard the nighttime sudser, the Once and Again star didn't feel too conflicted about threatening a beloved supercouple. "I'd never seen The O.C. until I was on it," Campbell admits to TVGuide.com. "I don't really watch television... I had a talk with the producers and they wanted a guy who was easygoing
In his role as Newport Living's cynical, damaged editor, Carter Buckley, Billy Campbell has stirred up mixed feelings for fans of The O.C. On the one hand, Sandy and Kirsten Cohen's marriage comes as close to sacred as you get in Newport. On the other, the tale of Kirsten's secret attraction to Carter has showcased Kelly Rowan in a refreshingly unsaintly way.
Last week, despite finding herself in a romantic hotel room in the intoxicating presence of a wine-marinated Carter, Kirsten nobly avoided temptation. But how long can Mrs. Cohen hold out? That's the question.
When Campell came aboard the nighttime sudser, the Once and Again star didn't feel too conflicted about threatening a beloved supercouple. "I'd never seen The O.C. until I was on it," Campbell admits to TVGuide.com. "I don't really watch television... I had a talk with the producers and they wanted a guy who was easygoing. That's about all I knew."
But since Kirsten's standing by her man, does that mean Carter's days in Orange County are numbered? Spoiler alert! Campbell replies in the affirmative, noting that tonight's juicy episode (8 pm/ET on Fox) — in which Carter and Kirsten come closer to adultery — is the last one he's signed up for. "We haven't discussed my returning to The O.C. at all," he reveals. "I would doubt it. They probably feel like they've run their course with me."
If Campbell sounds easygoing about the brevity of this gig, it's because he's got plenty on his plate these days. He's about to finish shooting Season 2 of USA's critically acclaimed alien-abduction series, The 4400, which premieres June 5. He'll then have all summer to devote to his real love — sailing.
"In May, I'm going to get on a sailing ship called the Picton Castle and sail from Nova Scotia westward around the world," he explains. "I spent the last four summers working as a deckhand on a Norwegian square-rigger in the North Sea."
That kind of rough journey must shed a bit of perspective on the posh, pampered life of an actor. But back to The O.C. for a sec. Did playing a magazine journalist affect Campbell's opinion of us newshounds? "No. Nothing could make me feel differently about you guys!" he laughs, adding, "You should take that in a good way."