Cam Gigandet is now most known for roles in things like the first “Twilight” movie, “Burlesque” opposite Christina Aguilera and the new CBS series “Reckless,” premiering this weekend, but back in 2006 he got his big acting break when he was cast as bad-boy surfer Kevin Volchok on Season 3 of Fox’s hit teen drama “The O.C.”
Turns out, the experience wasn’t such a pleasant one. Gigandet recalled to Elle that his co-stars were not welcoming to the new guy.
“Actually, Ben McKenzie [who played Ryan Atwood] was kind of mean to me. I hadn’t done anything at that point and he was a little bit of an ass,” Gigandet admitted.
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But he’s still a fan of McKenzie, who will be appearing as Detective Jim Gordon on Fox’s “Gotham” this fall, professionally. “But I love him,” Gigandet insisted. “I think he’s a great actor and I love ‘Southland.’”
“The O.C.’s” resident moody princess Marissa Cooper, Mischa Barton, got an even more dismissive brushoff. “Mischa? I didn’t really … Was she there? I don’t even have memories of her.”
Gigandet doesn’t believe his presence caused the turmoil on set. The young stars’ desire to leave the show before their contracts were up was well known at the time, and Gigandet’s anecdotes about the mood on set seem to reflect this.
“Those kids were fucking miserable,” he said. “They were just — they would not remember their lines on purpose. They were young.”
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But at least Gigandet is an equal opportunity snubber. “I don’t talk to anyone I’ve ever worked with,” he tells Elle. That also includes “Burlesque” co-star Christina Aguilera.
“Yeah, no,” he said. “I talk to Nick Thune from ‘Bad Johnson.’ I’m not saying any of them are terrible, I’ve loved a lot of them, but I talk to one.”