Rachel Bilson

Rachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress born on August 25, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a show-business family, she achieved widespread recognition for her role as Summer Roberts on the prime-time television drama series The O.C., which debuted in 2003. She later expanded her career into feature films, television dramas, fashion design, and podcast hosting.

Bilson was born to Janice Stango, a therapist, and Danny Bilson, a writer, director, and producer. Her family background includes deep ties to the entertainment industry; her grandfather Bruce Bilson was a producer-director, her great-grandfather George Bilson headed the movie trailer department at RKO Pictures, and her great-grandmother Hattie Bilson was a screenwriter. She grew up alongside an older half-brother and two younger half-sisters. Following her father's advice, she attended Grossmont College in a San Diego suburb to pursue professional acting.

Bilson began her career appearing in television commercials for brands including Subway, Raisin Bran, and Pepto-Bismol. She made her television acting debut in 2003 with guest roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Later that year, she was cast as Summer Roberts on The O.C. Originally planned as a minor role, her character became a series regular after a successful reception, particularly regarding her onscreen romance with Adam Brody's character.

Following her television breakthrough, Bilson made her feature film debut in the 2006 romantic comedy-drama The Last Kiss. She subsequently starred in the 2008 science-fiction action film Jumper. Her screen career includes roles in the films New York, I Love You, Waiting for Forever, and L!fe Happens, as well as television appearances on Chuck and How I Met Your Mother. From 2011 to 2015, she starred as Dr. Zoe Hart on the drama series Hart of Dixie. She later joined the cast of Nashville in 2017, starred in Take Two in 2018, and returned to television in a 2026 episode of Scrubs.

In addition to acting, Bilson has pursued ventures in fashion and digital media. In 2008, she launched the clothing line Edie Rose in collaboration with DKNY Jeans. In 2011, she partnered with stylist Nicole Chavez and Steve Madden to launch the online shoe destination ShoeMint. In April 2021, Bilson co-created and hosted the re-watch podcast Welcome to the OC, Bitches! with Melinda Clarke through August 2023. In May 2022, she launched the weekly interview podcast Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen.

Bilson's performance on The O.C. earned her three Teen Choice Awards in 2005. She was in a relationship with co-star Adam Brody from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, she began a relationship with actor Hayden Christensen, her co-star in Jumper; the couple had a daughter in October 2014 before separating in September 2017. Both Bilson and Christensen publicly supported the No Kids Policy coalition to protect children of celebrities from unauthorized photography.