Sandy Cohen
Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.
| Sandy Cohen | |
|---|---|
| The O.C. character | |
Peter Gallagher as Sanford Cohen | |
| First appearance | "Premiere" (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | "The End's Not Near, It's Here" (episode 4.16) |
| Created by | Josh Schwartz |
| Portrayed by | Peter Gallagher Max Greenfield (flashbacks) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Former: CEO of the Newport Group Co-owner of The Lighthouse |
| Occupation | Law professor Former: Lawyer Public defender |
| Family | Sophie Cohen (mother) Unnamed father |
| Spouse | Kirsten Cohen (wife; 3 children [1 adopted]) |
| Significant other | Rebecca Bloom (ex-fiancée [before pilot]) |
| Children | Seth Cohen (son, with Kirsten) Ryan Atwood (adoptive son, with Kirsten) Sophie Rose Cohen (daughter, with Kirsten) |
| Relatives | Caleb Nichol (father-in-law; deceased) Rose Nichol (mother-in-law; deceased) Julie Cooper (stepmother-in-law) Hailey Nichol (sister-in-law, via Kirsten) Lindsay Gardner (half-sister-in-law, via Kirsten) Cooper Atwood (stepbrother-in-law, via Kirsten) Marissa Cooper (stepsister-in-law, via Kirsten; deceased) Kaitlin Cooper (stepsister-in-law, via Kirsten) Summer Roberts (daughter-in-law, via Seth) |
| Residence | Berkeley, California Formerly: Newport Beach, California |
Sandy, 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's parents and siblings are not characters on The O.C. 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 Ryan's mother abandoned him. He has since gone into private practice in a law firm, before going to start his own law firm, taking over his late father-in-law's company, the Newport Group, returning to being a defense lawyer after Seth accidentally burned down the Newport Group headquarters, and finally becoming a Law professor. Sandy and Kirsten have three children. Sandy supports more liberal politics when compared to his wife Kirsten Cohen. He campaigned for the Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale in 1984, while his wife Kirsten Cohen supported the Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan.
Throughout the series, Sandy serves as a moral center, often guiding and supporting Seth and Ryan, and at times their love interests Marissa Cooper, Summer Roberts and Taylor Townsend, through their problems.