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In honor of Mother’s Day, we caught up with Melinda Clarke, who portrayed one of the most iconic TV moms of all time, the one and only Julie Cooper from The OC. Julie was far from a traditional TV mother, but she provided some of the most-talked-about moments on the show. From having an affair with her daughter’s teenage ex-boyfriend to trying to frame Ryan Atwood for shooting his brother Trey and almost poisoning Caleb Nichol before he died from a heart attack, Julie always kept things interesting. Clearly, Melinda is an amazing actress because she’s nothing like that in real life.
While Julie did whatever she could to maintain her lavish lifestyle (minus the short-lived trailer park phase of Season 3), Melinda is all about keeping things simple and sentimental, especially when it comes to gifts. She advised, “On Mother’s Day, try to keep it personal for mom, something she will enjoy every day.” Even so, she emphasized that Mother’s Day gifts should be special, recalling, “One year my dad gave my mom new bathroom sink fixtures,” which she noted was “not personal” along with a laugh.
Melinda shared, “I truly enjoy hugs from my daughter and maybe an orchid, a blue hydrangea, and my favorite part? My grandfather’s buttermilk pancakes with my daughter, mom, and the whole family!” In addition to flowers and breakfast, the actress shared her gift suggestions, including one outfit that’s just so Julie Cooper, art supplies for an at-home craft, an item that she ”takes everywhere,” and sentimental jewelry.