EXCLUSIVEChris Carmack Admits He Questioned If He Was a 'One Hit-Wonder' Before Finding Success in Hollywood: 'I Feel Very Grateful'
Chris Carmack exclusively tells OK! about finding success in Hollywood after appearing on 'The O.C.' in 2003.
Dec. 9 2024, Published 10:21 a.m. ET
Chris Carmack rose to fame after playing Luke Ward in Season 1 and 2 of The O.C., and since then, he's become a fan-favorite, appearing in Nashville and Grey's Anatomy. Though he's found success in Hollywood, he wasn't sure if it was too good to be true when starting out.
"While filming The O.C. I was 23 years old, and I was like, 'Am I a one-hit wonder?' I then got the part in Nashville and I got to be a part of that fantastic show and then Grey's Anatomy came right on the heels of that. In my early 40s, I feel like I can pat myself on the back and say, 'No, son, you have a career,'" the actor, 43, who is married to Erin Slaver, exclusively tells OK! while talking about their partnership with Autotrader to promote their Private Seller Exchange, the brand’s used-car marketplace that streamlines the private buying and selling process.
Chris Carmack is now on 'Grey's Anatomy.'
"I feel very blessed and grateful to have been part of it. I don't want to come off as touting my own achievements too much, but I'm grateful to be a part of it and grateful to have such a long and interesting and varied career," the star, who shares 4-year-old Kai and 2-year-old Cielle Estee with his wife, adds.
The handsome hunk is booked and busy, but he isn't opposed to appearing on a reboot of The O.C. if that were to come together in the future. "That seems to be what Hollywood is doing these days. It's been over 20 years since The O.C. aired, and it would be ripe to come back," he says of the teen drama, which aired from 2003 to 2007.
"Luke moved off to Portland with his dad, but maybe he still has a piece of that dealership his dad owned and maybe he comes back to the O.C. and he has his own auto trader business down there," he adds as to where Luke might be today.
The star shares two kids with his wife, Erin Slaver.
When the show aired, it was harder to keep up a relationship with others since it was before social media and cell phones became part of every day life. "You didn't stay in touch like you do these days," Carmack shares. "I did kind of lose touch with people, but I've crossed paths with Peter Gallagher [who played Sandy Cohen] and I worked with his daughter [Kathryn Gallagher] in Nashville. I speak to Melinda [Clarke], who played Mischa Barton's mom, Julie Cooper, and I've spoken to Rachel [Bilson], who played Summer Roberts, on social media and stuff. We're all kind of tangentially in touch and friendly. I'd love to get together and see them again."
Chris Carmack is 'grateful' for his successful career in Hollywood.
Ultimately, Carmack looks back at his time on all of these shows with such fond memories.
"As an actor, it's a joy to be part of something that people see and appreciate and love," he notes. "Majority of my interactions I have with fans have been extremely positive, and you know, what a great way to bring smiles into the world!"
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When the dad-of-two has time off from work, he is typically filming fun videos with his wife, which have taken off on social media. One of the clips includes the duo, who got married in 2018, putting together an epic compilation of their best pranks for their partnership with Autotrader to promote Private Seller Exchange.
With the fraud protection of a dealership and the value of the private market, Autotrader experts vet the process from start to finish. They make sure buyers and sellers know who they are dealing with, arrange for safe meet up locations, guarantee a title and protect both sellers and buyers financially.
The pair frequently post fun social media videos together.
"So, my wife and I have gotten involved in the social media stratosphere. We used to do music together, and once we had our second kid, we couldn't do it anymore. We couldn't find time to write songs and we couldn't record," he explains. "The house was never quiet, so we started creating these sort of funny little marriage bits and skits, which took off. We kept doing it, and it got very popular, and thankfully, some lovely companies have started to take notice and asked if we could integrate some of their messaging into some of our sketches."
"We started doing that, and when companies like Autotrader ask to partner with us, it's very exciting!" he adds. "It's a challenge. We're like, 'How do we incorporate this messaging into our lives?' More often than not it's easy because it's a product we use. I've got a 10-year-old car, and I've been perusing Autotrader. I'm looking for a new one. I've thought about private sellers in the past because I've never bought a new car for myself; I've always bought a used car. I've always been a little scared off because I don't want to show up in a dark alley with an envelope of cash and leave with nothing! But with Private Seller Exchange, they talk to us about their services and vet both the buyers and sellers. It's a really safe and easy process, and they wanted to put emphasis on the safer — even though it's easier, they take care of the payment digitally and they handle verifying the buyers. We felt good about getting on board with a company and that it's so customer forward."
The couple is partnering with Autotrader for their Private Seller Exchange program.
Though Carmack has still yet to pull the trigger on a new car, he's thinking that since he's been on Grey's Anatomy for seven years, it's time to "reward" himself with a new used vehicle. "I've been perusing, but I'm oscillating between a truck or SUV," he shares. "Some of my dream cares are on Autotrader, so the world is my oyster!"
