Caleb Nichol
Encyclopedia
Caleb Nichol is a fictional character
on the FOX
television series The O.C.
, portrayed by Alan Dale
during the show's first and second seasons. Caleb Nichol is loosely based on Donald Bren
, owner and Chairman of the Irvine Company
, based in Newport Beach, California
.
, and deviant shown perhaps by the way he treated his daughter Kirsten who worked for him, who found it increasingly hard to please him and earn his approval, or by the way he judged, and attempted to dominate the lives of everyone around him to fit his needs in a very contemptuous way. He did appear however to genuinely care for his children and was something of a prominent social figure. According to Kirsten, he has a very strong disliking for cilantro. In "The Girlfriend", the episode where Caleb first appears, Seth tells Ryan that like him(Ryan], his grandfather comes from a very humble upbringing. His relationship with his son-in-law, Sandy Cohen
, was mixed, being particularly bad and resentful during season one to being somewhat of a mutual understanding in season two when Sandy helped Caleb with his legal troubles. At the end of the season, Caleb married Julie Cooper
in an uneventful ceremony. Many suspected the union was for social and financial gain for both parties concerned, and proved to be a troubled marriage.
, came back to haunt him. He attempted to build a relationship with her at the start and at one point was intent on adopting her, but this relationship collapsed when he caved into Julie's demands for a blood test. The blood test confirmed Lindsay was Caleb's daughter, but Lindsay left with her mother shortly after. Caleb also developed a heart condition throughout season two as well, after having a confrontation with Ryan Atwood
about Ryan's interference with his relationship with Lindsay. Later he had a heart attack and slipped into the pool and died. His funeral was the biggest in the 4 years of the O.C., with every resident attending & giving speeches.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, portrayed by Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
during the show's first and second seasons. Caleb Nichol is loosely based on Donald Bren
Donald Bren
Donald Bren is an American businessman who is Chairman of the Irvine Company, a US Based real estate developer, which he wholly owns.-Early Life and Education:...
, owner and Chairman of the Irvine Company
Irvine Company
The Irvine Company is a privately held real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. The corporate center of the company lies in Newport Center. A large portion of its operations are centered in and around the City of Irvine, a planned city of 250,000...
, based in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
.
Season 1
Caleb was one of the wealthiest people in Newport Beach (said to be the Donald Trump of the West Coast), owning the real estate company The Newport Group which owned a large amount of properties in Newport. He was portrayed as quite a suave businessman that was known for dishonest business dealings and practice. He also was very controlling, manipulativePsychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
, and deviant shown perhaps by the way he treated his daughter Kirsten who worked for him, who found it increasingly hard to please him and earn his approval, or by the way he judged, and attempted to dominate the lives of everyone around him to fit his needs in a very contemptuous way. He did appear however to genuinely care for his children and was something of a prominent social figure. According to Kirsten, he has a very strong disliking for cilantro. In "The Girlfriend", the episode where Caleb first appears, Seth tells Ryan that like him(Ryan], his grandfather comes from a very humble upbringing. His relationship with his son-in-law, Sandy Cohen
Sandy Cohen
Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and...
, was mixed, being particularly bad and resentful during season one to being somewhat of a mutual understanding in season two when Sandy helped Caleb with his legal troubles. At the end of the season, Caleb married Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:...
in an uneventful ceremony. Many suspected the union was for social and financial gain for both parties concerned, and proved to be a troubled marriage.
Season 2
Caleb becomes a main character in Season 2. With the Newport Group in deep financial debt, which began towards the end of Season 1, a long kept secret of an illegitimate child, Lindsay GardnerLindsay Gardner
Lindsay Gardner is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Shannon Lucio. Featured only during the first half of season two, Lindsay is the illegitimate daughter of Caleb Nichol by his former secretary, Renee Wheeler...
, came back to haunt him. He attempted to build a relationship with her at the start and at one point was intent on adopting her, but this relationship collapsed when he caved into Julie's demands for a blood test. The blood test confirmed Lindsay was Caleb's daughter, but Lindsay left with her mother shortly after. Caleb also developed a heart condition throughout season two as well, after having a confrontation with Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
about Ryan's interference with his relationship with Lindsay. Later he had a heart attack and slipped into the pool and died. His funeral was the biggest in the 4 years of the O.C., with every resident attending & giving speeches.
Season 3
Despite Caleb's status in both the corporate and social world of Newport, it was later revealed that he was bankrupt, with massive company debts in the Newport Group and high interest loans and mortgages. Caleb left both Julie and Kirsten with no money, though he had intended in his will to divide his fortune and assets equally between them. In season 3, it is revealed that Caleb took Julie's suggestion of writing Kirsten an apology letter which is given to her at the reading of his will. In The Chrismukkah Bar-Mitzvahkkah when Seth is watching a video tape of his Bar Mitzvah when he was 13, Caleb's voice is briefly heard on the tape.Cohens
- Kirsten CohenKirsten CohenKirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood...
(daughter, with Rose) - Sandy CohenSandy CohenSanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and...
(son-in-law,via Kirsten) - Seth CohenSeth CohenSeth Ezekiel Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Adam Brody. Seth was one of the "core four" characters on The O.C. alongside Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts.-Background:...
(grand-son,via Kirsten) - Ryan AtwoodRyan AtwoodRyan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
(adopted-grand-son,via Kirsten) - Sophie Rose Cohen (grand-daughter,via Kirsten)
Coopers
- Julie CooperJulie CooperJulie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:...
(widow) - Marissa CooperMarissa CooperMarissa Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Mischa Barton. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three finale, "The Graduates."...
(step-daughter,deceased,via Julie) - Kaitlin CooperKaitlin CooperKaitlin Cooper is a fictional character on the Fox television series The O.C., played by Willa Holland. She was originally played by Shailene Woodley.-Season 1:...
(step-daughter,via Julie)
Other Relatives
- Lindsay GardnerLindsay GardnerLindsay Gardner is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Shannon Lucio. Featured only during the first half of season two, Lindsay is the illegitimate daughter of Caleb Nichol by his former secretary, Renee Wheeler...
(illegitimate daughter,with Renee Wheeler) - Renee Wheeler (affair)