TV News

Mischa Barton Says TV's Not for Her

By Jeffrey Slonim and Michael Y. Park

10/20/2009 at 08:45 AM EDT

Her show The Beautiful Life was cancelled almost before it began, but that didn't stop Mischa Barton from resuming her own beautiful life on Monday night at a party in New York City.

Demonstrating that she'd regained her model figure with a Versace gown at the Whitney Museum Gala, Barton, 23, said she doesn't mind not working for the small screen anymore.

RELATED: Mischa Barton Says Filming Her New Show Is Great

"I think I need to back away from the whole TV approach," she said. "That whole world of network television, probably isn't, for me, a good idea now. I need to start reading for more serious roles."

But she's not sure exactly what the next project will be.

"It's too early to tell yet," she said. "I'm passing on all the [early] offers, because that's not the stuff you want to do. I want to go fight for interesting things and look for something that's going to be interesting for me ... as a role."

For now, her focus is on her body – she said she regularly works out with girlfriends – and on embracing life in Gotham.

RELATED: Mischa Dishes on Her Headband Designs

"Reading scripts and enjoying living in New York," she said, calling her break from work "lovely." "Now that I'm not doing the TV show, I've got lots of time to work out."