Johnny Harper
Encyclopedia
Johnny Harper is a fictional character
on the FOX
television series The O.C.
, played by Ryan Donowho
.
and best friend of Dennis "Chilli" Childress. He was a student at Newport Union, where he met Marissa Cooper
, who had just been kicked out of her old school for shooting Trey Atwood
, and developed feelings for her. His girlfriend Casey realizes this and cheats on him with Volchok. Johnny wants to fight Volchok, but is saved by Marissa's boyfriend Ryan Atwood
, who is suspicious of Johnny because he realizes he's in love with Marissa. Marissa and Johnny's bond grows when Marissa (unable to discuss it with Ryan) talks to him about the night she shot Trey, as it turns out Johnny had a similar experience, as a teenager his father often beat his mother and on one occasion Johnny took a baseball bat to his father, Johnny does not remember what happened but he found himself covered in his father's blood and never heard from him again (we know that Johnny's dad survived the attack as he appears in later episode).
Johnny's surfing career came to an end when a car ran into him after he ran after Ryan at a surfing contest. This and his unrequited love for Marissa led to his downfall. This car crash also leads to how he saw just how much Marissa cared for him which made him fall in love with her. He even tried to stop Marissa from helping him by robbing from a gas station shop, but fortunately Ryan stops him in the nick of time. He starts a short relationship with Marissa's sister Kaitlin
but comes to the decision that he has to confront Marissa over his feelings for her. When she replies with a letter, telling him that she doesn't love him, he begins drinking at the beach with Kaitlin. Being very drunk, he climbs up a cliff. Kaitlin calls Ryan to save him but is too late, and Johnny ends up falling to his death. Ryan starts a relationship with Johnny's cousin Sadie Campbell after Johnny's death.
and Taylor Townsend
are in the parallel universe Newport and a poster is visible at the mall advertising an appearance by "Pac West Surf Star" Johnny Harper to promote his new line of surf boards. This parallel universe takes place in the absence of Ryan from Newport, which implies that if Ryan had never come to Newport, Johnny would never have injured his knee or died.
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...
, played by Ryan Donowho
Ryan Donowho
Ryan Wayne Donowho is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Born in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to Brooklyn, New York and then to Los Angeles. He was a street musician in New York City as "bucket" drummer...
.
Season 3
Johnny Harper was an upcoming surfer, rival of 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:...
and best friend of Dennis "Chilli" Childress. He was a student at Newport Union, where he met 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."...
, who had just been kicked out of her old school for shooting Trey Atwood
Trey Atwood
Trey Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., first portrayed by Bradley Stryker during season one and then by Logan Marshall-Green from season two onward...
, and developed feelings for her. His girlfriend Casey realizes this and cheats on him with Volchok. Johnny wants to fight Volchok, but is saved by Marissa's boyfriend 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...
, who is suspicious of Johnny because he realizes he's in love with Marissa. Marissa and Johnny's bond grows when Marissa (unable to discuss it with Ryan) talks to him about the night she shot Trey, as it turns out Johnny had a similar experience, as a teenager his father often beat his mother and on one occasion Johnny took a baseball bat to his father, Johnny does not remember what happened but he found himself covered in his father's blood and never heard from him again (we know that Johnny's dad survived the attack as he appears in later episode).
Johnny's surfing career came to an end when a car ran into him after he ran after Ryan at a surfing contest. This and his unrequited love for Marissa led to his downfall. This car crash also leads to how he saw just how much Marissa cared for him which made him fall in love with her. He even tried to stop Marissa from helping him by robbing from a gas station shop, but fortunately Ryan stops him in the nick of time. He starts a short relationship with Marissa's sister Kaitlin
Kaitlin Cooper
Kaitlin 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:...
but comes to the decision that he has to confront Marissa over his feelings for her. When she replies with a letter, telling him that she doesn't love him, he begins drinking at the beach with Kaitlin. Being very drunk, he climbs up a cliff. Kaitlin calls Ryan to save him but is too late, and Johnny ends up falling to his death. Ryan starts a relationship with Johnny's cousin Sadie Campbell after Johnny's death.
Season 4
In "The Chrismukk-huh?" while Ryan AtwoodRyan 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...
and Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
are in the parallel universe Newport and a poster is visible at the mall advertising an appearance by "Pac West Surf Star" Johnny Harper to promote his new line of surf boards. This parallel universe takes place in the absence of Ryan from Newport, which implies that if Ryan had never come to Newport, Johnny would never have injured his knee or died.
Relationships
- Casey
- 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."...
(unrequited love) - 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:...
(dated, kissed)
Trivia
- In The OC's fourth season, episode The Metamorphosis, when Seth and Summer are watching an episode from the third season of The Valley, April can be heard talking to her crush about his broken leg and him not being able to ever kickbox again. This is a reference to third season's episode The Game Plan where MarissaMarissa 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."...
is talking to Johnny about his broken leg and how he can never surf again.