This whole scene is very strange. It`s a very strange town and a very strange business, and it has a tendency to creep me out.

I found out right off the bat that those guys are f------ crazy, and they will kill you. I was practicing with them, and this monster dropped his pants in the middle of the field and started pissing. I realized then: I can`t do this. I might die.

I`m somewhat puzzled about that myself. I did theater in college, so I had already started down that path, but I didn`t want to major in theater at U. Va. I didn`t really know what I wanted to do, so I thought I`d get a good education and do some acting at the same time.

I found out right off the bat that those guys are f**king crazy and they will kill you. I was practicing with them and this monster dropped his pants in the middle of the field and started pissing. I realized then; I can`t do this. I might die

I`ve always been kind of a loner. Continue to be. So, in that sense, Ryan and I are the same. I played football in Texas, but I didn`t really hang out with the jocks. I did honors courses, but I didn`t hang out with those kids, either. I sort of had my own group I hung with occasionally, but I`ve always been kind of by myself.

I had one year of struggle. My parents were always there, but I didn`t want to rely on them. Now it`s moving pretty fast. I`m not rich, but obviously this is fantastic. All I know to do with money is put it in a shoe box anyway.

Sometimes those fears (about fame) creep into the back of your head, but then you slap yourself and think, `Oh, woe is me! People actually like me.` What a silly thing to worry about. This is a huge opportunity, and I`m excited.

(On playing a thug) It`s a Fox thing, the bad-boy image. They`re trying to type me out. There are worse things in life, you know. I`m just really excited about the opportunity.

If you don`t want female attention, a moustache is the way to go... they`re not a fan.

I had sort of an F-you vibe... Everyone else had come to audition and kissed the asses of [producers] McG and Doug Liman--which they should in a sense, because they`re so accomplished. But I just didn`t. I went in and did my thing, and I don`t know, I guess they liked it.

It`s against type in the sense of my background, but it`s with type in the sense that I am a loner who`s new to this business and skeptical about a lot of it.

You don`t ever want a woman to look that different from what you`re going to wake up to in the morning, should that situation arise

[When a Newsweek interviewer asked McKenzie if he thinks The OC should end with Ryan and Marissa getting married] "I`ve always pushed for the big marriage that the whole entire audience has always seen coming. Ryan and Seth walk down the aisle hand in hand."

"I don`t like the whole trend of people in the business treating marriage like entertainment. It`s either for publicity value or because they`re bored. Because they haven`t done a movie in a few months, they get married instead." - On Young Hollywood weddings.

This whole scene is very strange. It`s a very strange town and a very strange business, and it has a tendency to creep me out. Ryan`s relationship with Orange County is very similar to my relationship with L.A.: fabulous wealth, and odd people behaving oddly, and I`m definitely a bit overwhelmed. I hope I`m hiding it well.

I had one year of struggle. My parents were always there, but I didn`t want to rely on them. Now it`s moving pretty fast. I`m not rich, but obviously this is fantastic. All I know to do with money is put it in a shoe box anyway.

Sometimes those fears (about fame) creep into the back of your head, but then you slap yourself and think, `Oh, woe is me! People actually like me.` What a silly thing to worry about. This is a huge opportunity, and I`m excited.

"I`m somewhat puzzled about that myself. I did theater in college, so I had already started down that path, but I didn`t want to major in theater at U. Va. I didn`t really know what I wanted to do, so I thought I`d get a good education and do some acting at the same time" Explaining why he majored in Economics and Foreign Affairs and not theater.

"It`s against type in the sense of my background, but it`s with type in the sense that I am a loner who`s new to this business and skeptical about a lot of it." When discussing differences between Ryan Atwood and himself.

It`s a Fox thing, the bad-boy image. They`re trying to type me out. There are worse things in life, you know. I`m just really excited about the opportunity.

"I`ve always been kind of a loner. Continue to be. So, in that sense, Ryan and I are the same. I played football in Texas, but I didn`t really hang out with the jocks. I did honors courses, but I didn`t hang out with those kids, either. I sort of had my own group I hung with occasionally, but I`ve always been kind of by myself." - When asked about his high school experience.