Mischa Barton

24 Jan, 1986 | London, England

Actress

Biography

Mischa Anne Marsden Barton, is an English film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C. Early life Mischa Barton was born in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom to an Irish mother, Nuala (née Quinn), a photographer, and an English father, Paul Marsden Barton, a foreign exchange broker. She has two sisters, Hania and Zoe Barton. Barton moved to New York City at the age of five and became a naturalised citizen of the United States in Los Angeles on 3 February 2006. Barton graduated from the Professional Children\'s School in Manhattan in 2004, and attended classes at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the Summer of 2006. Career Barton began acting at the age of eight (as she said on The Friday Night Project), co-starring in the Off Broadway premiere of Slavs!, written by Tony Kushner. She appeared in several other Off Broadway productions, taking a lead role in James Lapine\'s Twelve Dreams at Lincoln Center. She made her film debut in Lawn Dogs, which won awards at film festivals around the world. Since then, she has appeared in several films, such as The Sixth Sense, Notting Hill, St Trinians, and Closing the Ring. In St Trinians, she appeared as a former head girl of that school advising current senior pupils on fashion and style. Barton first appeared on television in 1996, as young Lily Montgomery in the soap opera All My Children, and in a modern re-make of Bonnie and Clyde. She guest-starred in eight episodes of the television series Once and Again as Jessie Sammler\'s (Evan Rachel Wood\'s) girlfriend, Katie Singer. Other television appearances include an episode of the FOX series Fastlane, James Blunt\'s music video "Goodbye My Lover", and Enrique Iglesias\' music video "Addicted". In August 2003, FOX premiered the television series The O.C., about affluent teenagers with stormy personal lives who reside in scenic Orange County, California. The show became an overnight success because of the large fan base, and it put Barton on the map as Marissa Cooper, until her departure from the show in the third-season finale in May 2006. The O.C. dropped in ratings dramatically during its third and fourth seasons, and ended in early 2007. In July 2006, Barton appeared on the British comedy variety show The Friday Night Project as a guest host. In 2007, Barton appeared nude briefly in the film The Oh in Ohio, and again in Closing the Ring. She also appeared in the R-rated comedy film Virgin Territory with Hayden Christensen, which was a flop, going straight to DVD and being ignored by most critics. In 2007, Barton was cast in an upcoming international film produced by the Russian band t.A.T.u., called You and I. She appeared in Assassination of a High School President, co-starring Bruce Willis, when the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She has completed filming Walled In, Homecoming and Don\'t Fade Away which are all expected to be released in 2009. You and I and Assassination of a High School President are also scheduled to be released in 2009. She recently appeared on the popular show Gok\'s Fashion Fix on Channel 4. In the episode, Gok goes on an exclusive shopping trip in Paris with Mischa. It has been widely reported that she is in talks to join the cast of the hit television series Ugly Betty in a 5-episode guest appearance. She is currently filming Bhopal: Prayer for Rain in India alongside Martin Sheen. Personal life Some tabloid newspaper gossip columns report that she has recently been dating The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard. However, these reports have not been confirmed as being correct by Barton or any other more reliable sources - The London party they were reportedly seen at by the gossip column \'spies\' took place three days after Barton posted on her new official website that she was due to fly to India "tomorrow" to begin filming her latest movie. When asked in interviews if she feels English or American, she states she feels English.