Chris Carmack Had Fun Playing Villain Luke Ward On The OC
“Luke was a very jealous guy, and I had to get into those shoes and that frame of mind.”
It wasn’t easy for Ryan Atwood to make Newport Beach his home in The O.C. Season 1. As an outsider from Chino, California, Ryan clashed with Newport’s high society. And Luke Ward (Chris Carmack) definitely didn’t help.
It was Luke who delivered one of the more iconic lines from the show — “Welcome to the O.C., b*tch” — after beating up Ryan at his first party. The actor who played him, though, is anything but a bully. Carmack, 44, who now stars as Dr. Atticus Lincoln in Grey’s Anatomy, may be more mild-mannered than he appears on screen, but he tells Elite Daily that playing the villain is “the fun part” of his job. “I did have to sort of justify a level of jealousy that I don’t think me, as Chris, is capable of experiencing.”
Carmack may not understand Luke’s rage, but he relates to his character’s ability to change. The show’s creator, Josh Schwartz, told Uproxx in 2017 that in order to go big with the plot, they took the show’s villain and made him “the most sympathetic character.” In just 28 episodes, Luke went from Marissa’s jealous boyfriend to Julie Cooper’s lover, and he ended up being a decent friend to The O.C. crew.
Luke only appeared in Season 1 and one episode of Season 2, but Carmack’s time on the early-aughts drama left a lasting impression — the actor says fans of The O.C. still recognize him. Below, Carmack, who recently partnered with Autotrader for a villainous prank series with his wife, Erin Slaver, shares what it was like playing a beloved TV bully.
Elite Daily: Was it hard playing an antagonist the first season of The O.C.?
Chris Carmack: No, it was a blast. Luke was a very jealous guy, and I had to get into those shoes and that frame of mind, but it was a lot of fun.
ED: Why do you think The O.C. has become such a comfort rewatch for many people?
CC: It certainly made an enormous mark when it came out. It was gigantic, because it spoke to people’s desire to be entertained. It’s escapism. All of a sudden, you’re in the O.C. and there’s beaches, crashing waves, hot people walking around, epic high school parties, and epic love stories. It’s practically Romeo and Juliet.
Then streaming came around and gave people an opportunity to rediscover it, and gratefully, they did. My wife watched it for the first time a couple of years ago. I’d come home and she’d be in bed watching The O.C. She’d hit pause and I’d be like, “What are you watching?” and she’d turn red.
ED: Would she get frustrated with your character at all?
CC: She gets more frustrated with me.
ED: In what ways are you and Luke similar, and in what ways do you differ?
CC: I don’t have the jealous streak that Luke had, which came from a certain insecurity. We learned a lot about Luke over the season. We found out that things in his home weren’t what they appeared to be. That can take a toll on a kid when truths are being suppressed and people aren’t living their authentic lives.
Looking back on it, that had a lot to do with Luke’s rage. There was anxiety in his home that contributed to his inability to express himself, which in turn made him a bully. I don’t entirely relate to that, but I do relate to Luke’s ability to learn, change, and grow. As soon as he had a taste of being on the outside, he was able to experience compassion and empathy. He became somebody that could be a friend.
ED: What do you think was the worst thing Luke ever did?
CC: Sleep with Marissa’s mom. It was an act of passion, but that doesn’t make it not the worst thing he ever did.
ED: Are there any other villains, fictional or real, you love?
CC: It has been a couple years since we put eyeballs on it, but me and my wife were enjoying The Boys. Homelander is such a fun character. We love to hate him.
ED: Do you have a message for any fans who might be mad at you, the actor, because of what Luke did?
CC: It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it.
ED: With new fans coming discovering the show through streaming and Adam Brody’s recent renaissance, do you think there’s a potential for an O.C. reunion?
CC: Everyone keeps asking about it, so there must be demand out there, and where there is demand, there’s always possibility. By the way, I don’t make those decisions.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
