Sandy Cohen
Encyclopedia
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 he has an unnamed brother and sister. Sandy was originally a public defender, which brought him into contact with troubled teen, Ryan Atwood
, whom he eventually adopted and took on as his own after his mother abandoned him. He has since then gone into private practice in a law firm, before going to start his own law firm and finally taking over his late father-in-law's company, the Newport Group. After Seth accidentally burned down the Newport Group headquarters, Sandy returns to the public defender's office. He and Kirsten have three children.
Throughout the series, Sandy serves as a moral center, often guiding and supporting Seth and Ryan, and at times love interests Marissa Cooper
, Summer Roberts
and Taylor Townsend
, through their problems.
with Kirsten and Seth, his son, with the occasional problem surfacing. Unresolved issues of trust and jealousy came to the surface with regards to Kirsten's former childhood sweetheart, Jimmy Cooper
, who was also their next-door neighbor.
He left the Public Defender's Office to go into private practice at Patridge, Savage and Khan, along with his former colleague from the District Attorney's office, Rachel Hoffman. She causes tension between Sandy and Kirsten when Kirsten finds Sandy enjoying a drink with Rachel one night while he was supposed to be at a meeting. Later on, Sandy and Rachel get involved in a case against Caleb
's company, the Newport Group. Both were accused by Caleb of having an affair because they had been spending a lot of time together and working very late. Not long afterwards, when Rachel and Sandy were working late in her apartment, she makes a play for him, but he rejects her advances. He and Kirsten then attempt to set her up with Jimmy, to no avail.
, died which caused Kirsten's drinking problem to run out of control, forcing the entire Cohen family and Kirsten's sister Hailey
to stage an intervention and put her in rehab.
, who was responsible for the death of Marissa and he was also the one who talks Ryan into helping Taylor
, who was in the middle of a divorce from her French husband, Henri-Michel.
Later in the season, Sandy bumps into a man at the New Year's Eve party and investigates further. The man is revealed to be Ryan's father, Frank Atwood, whom Sandy meets. Frank wants to see Ryan, so Sandy tells Ryan who refuses. Frank tells Sandy that he has cancer so Kirsten invites him to dinner but Sandy is suspicious. It is later revealed Frank lied, in an attempt to see Ryan. They get into a fight.
Sandy helps in the preparation for Kirsten's fortieth birthday. He finds a mail truck, exactly the same model as the one that both of them lived in Berkeley, while his real present to her was two first-class tickets around the world. When he tells a stunned Kirsten, she announces that she is having a baby. After an earthquake hits Newport Beach, Sandy finds Kirsten on the ground, and tries to help her up, but had difficulties because of the falling objects around them. At the hospital, Sandy and Kirsten discover that they are going to have a daughter.
Six months later, he and Kirsten move to Berkeley; back to the house where they had Seth. It is in this house that Seth and Ryan's sister, Sophie Rose, starts her life. Five years later, Sandy becomes a law lecturer (possibly a professor) at UC Berkeley.
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...
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 Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Peter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
.
Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen
Sophie Cohen (The O.C.)
Sophie Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Linda Lavin.-Background:Sophie has three children, Sandy Cohen, and a younger son and daughter who are unknown. She also has three known grandchildren Ryan Atwood , Seth Cohen and Sophie Rose Cohen...
, is married to Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten 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...
. Their eldest child, Seth
Seth Cohen
Seth 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:...
, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and he has an unnamed brother and sister. Sandy was originally a public defender, which brought him into contact with troubled teen, 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...
, whom he eventually adopted and took on as his own after his mother abandoned him. He has since then gone into private practice in a law firm, before going to start his own law firm and finally taking over his late father-in-law's company, the Newport Group. After Seth accidentally burned down the Newport Group headquarters, Sandy returns to the public defender's office. He and Kirsten have three children.
Throughout the series, Sandy serves as a moral center, often guiding and supporting Seth and Ryan, and at times love interests Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper
Marissa 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."...
, Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts...
and Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
, through their problems.
Season one
Sandy has a mainly stable marriageMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
with Kirsten and Seth, his son, with the occasional problem surfacing. Unresolved issues of trust and jealousy came to the surface with regards to Kirsten's former childhood sweetheart, Jimmy Cooper
Jimmy Cooper (The O.C.)
James "Jimmy" Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Tate Donovan. He is often described as extremely unreliable, immature and cowardly, due to his actions....
, who was also their next-door neighbor.
He left the Public Defender's Office to go into private practice at Patridge, Savage and Khan, along with his former colleague from the District Attorney's office, Rachel Hoffman. She causes tension between Sandy and Kirsten when Kirsten finds Sandy enjoying a drink with Rachel one night while he was supposed to be at a meeting. Later on, Sandy and Rachel get involved in a case against Caleb
Caleb Nichol
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...
's company, the Newport Group. Both were accused by Caleb of having an affair because they had been spending a lot of time together and working very late. Not long afterwards, when Rachel and Sandy were working late in her apartment, she makes a play for him, but he rejects her advances. He and Kirsten then attempt to set her up with Jimmy, to no avail.
Season two
Rebecca Bloom, an old flame of Sandy's, came back into their lives, causing difficulties between him and Kirsten. This contributed towards her growing alcohol problem, and the distance between her and Sandy caused her to almost have an affair with a magazine editor, Carter Buckley, although he left before anything happened. This came to a head when Kirsten's father, Caleb NicholCaleb Nichol
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...
, died which caused Kirsten's drinking problem to run out of control, forcing the entire Cohen family and Kirsten's sister Hailey
Hailey Nichol
Hailey Nichol is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Amanda Righetti. Seen as something of a black sheep of the family, Hailey is the younger daughter of Caleb and Rose Nichol, younger sister to Kirsten Cohen, and older half-sister to Lindsay Gardner...
to stage an intervention and put her in rehab.
Season three
He has had many new problems with the underhanded nature of business in the real estate world in his new job as CEO of the Newport Group. This once again has caused a strain on his home life, although the season three finale saw him making the decision to return to being a public defender after revisiting his old office and seeing what it was like.Season four
In the fourth season, Sandy helps Ryan sort things out with Kevin VolchokKevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok, more commonly referred to as simply Volchok, is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Cam Gigandet.-Background:...
, who was responsible for the death of Marissa and he was also the one who talks Ryan into helping Taylor
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
, who was in the middle of a divorce from her French husband, Henri-Michel.
Later in the season, Sandy bumps into a man at the New Year's Eve party and investigates further. The man is revealed to be Ryan's father, Frank Atwood, whom Sandy meets. Frank wants to see Ryan, so Sandy tells Ryan who refuses. Frank tells Sandy that he has cancer so Kirsten invites him to dinner but Sandy is suspicious. It is later revealed Frank lied, in an attempt to see Ryan. They get into a fight.
Sandy helps in the preparation for Kirsten's fortieth birthday. He finds a mail truck, exactly the same model as the one that both of them lived in Berkeley, while his real present to her was two first-class tickets around the world. When he tells a stunned Kirsten, she announces that she is having a baby. After an earthquake hits Newport Beach, Sandy finds Kirsten on the ground, and tries to help her up, but had difficulties because of the falling objects around them. At the hospital, Sandy and Kirsten discover that they are going to have a daughter.
Six months later, he and Kirsten move to Berkeley; back to the house where they had Seth. It is in this house that Seth and Ryan's sister, Sophie Rose, starts her life. Five years later, Sandy becomes a law lecturer (possibly a professor) at UC Berkeley.