Ben McKenzie agreed with Frakes about typecasting. He became a star in the role of Ryan Atwood in "The O.C." at age 24, after two years of seeking acting work in New York and Los Angeles. Eleven years later, after starring in two more television series playing what "The New York Times" described as a "quiet, guarded leading man", McKenzie said "if you are being stereotyped, that means you have something to stereotype. So they're casting you. That is an amazing thing. That is a gift. Worry about being pigeonholed in your 50s."