Mischa Barton and (above) Benjamin McKenzie in The Orange County

The big billboards all across the city claim that ?there is no sex in this city?. And the place they are referring to is Orange County, which also happens to be the title for ?America?s favourite teen drama series?.

OC, as it is popularly known, is a wealthy, harbour-front community where everything and everyone appears to be perfect. But beneath the surface is a world of shifting loyalties and identities, of kids living secret lives hidden from their parents, and of parents living secret lives hidden from their children.

The Orange County tells the story of three families ? Cohen, Cooper and Nichol. But it?s finally about the love story between the ?heartbreakingly beautiful girl next door? Marissa Cooper and the 16-year-old troubled teen Ryan Atwood. Although their romance is ill-fated since they can?t get over their past, The OC is above all about these two lovers.

Mischa Barton, who plays Marissa Cooper, has developed an extensive filmography and theatrical resume making her one of the most sought-after young actresses of her generation. She was doing an episode of another show called Fastlane when the producers discussed with her the script for The OC. ?They started talking about the character of Marissa and it sounded so great to me. It had a lot of promise and I guess things just clicked for us,? recalls Mischa.

But it wasn?t that easy. ?For me, the most challenging part is just making sure that with our crazy, intensive schedule, every week we make a show that fans are gonna love, and that they still feel like they can relate to the characters,? feels Mischa. ?I want to make sure that Marissa seems real to people and that fans can understand what she?s going through and also sympathise with her.?

And it is the presence of The OC co-star Benjamin McKenzie ? who plays Ryan ? that makes Mischa?s life easier. ?Working with Ben is great. He?s a great guy, and we have so much fun together on the sets. We have such a nice cast that I couldn?t ask for anything better. And Ben is really cool and I love doing scenes with him.?

Benjamin, who graduated with economics major from University of Virginia, had moved to New York to pursue his passion for acting. After doing theatre and off-Broadway productions, he finally moved to Los Angeles where he landed the lead role in The OC.

?I went through the audition process like any other actor,? recalls Benjamin. ?I came in pretty late in the game. They had been trying to find a Ryan for a good while. They liked what they saw and then it was all over within a week. We started the pilot about a week and a half after I was cast, which was great because it didn?t give me enough time to freak out about it!?

So what makes the Ryan-Marissa bond really work and have everyone rooting for them to come together in The OC? Benjamin has his own explanation: ?Ryan?s interesting because he?s had a bit of a chequered past with girls. He?s been around the block a few times, but he?s never really had a girl that he has connected to quite the same way that he connects with Marissa. I think it works because it?s not a relationship that naturally would follow, because they are from completely different places, and they have completely different experiences.?

But neither Benjamin nor Mischa is quite sure whether their characters would be able to come together on screen. ?I really want Marissa to mature and grow up a little as the year continues,? feels Mischa. ?She goes through a lot, and she?s at that tough point in her life when she?s trying to break away from her parents a little and become more of an adult. I wish that her relationship with Ryan develops like real relationships do in real life.?

Benjamin?s more precise. ?Marissa?s the girl who seems to have everything, and Ryan?s the guy who can see through all of the superficialities of her life that she?s been so attached to. Their connection transcends the lives that they?ve previously led,? he feels.

To catch what happens to the Marissa-Ryan love story watch The Orange County, Tuesdays at 9 pm, on STAR World.