Mischa Barton: Snapshot
- Name
- Mischa Barton
- Birth Date
- January 24, 1986
- Birth Place
- Hammersmith, England
With her trailblazing fashion sense, Barton has been a spokeswoman for Keds and Neutrogena, as well as a model for Calvin Klein and Bebe. Her high-profile romances include billionaire heir Brandon Davis and most recently rocker Cisco Adler of Whitestarr.
Since her character was killed off The OC (and the show subsequently cancelled), Barton has signed on to numerous film roles, including Closing the Ring, costarring Shirley MacLaine and Neve Campbell. More than just a Hollywood "It" girl, Barton's acting chops seem to be taking center stage.
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Mischa Barton: Five Fun Facts
- Mischa Barton admits that the part of her body she likes least is her butt. "It's just not toned at all," she told PEOPLE in 2005
- Mischa Barton lists Say Anything, The Graduate and Rebel Without a Cause as her favorite movies, and The Giver, Catcher in the Rye and Howard's End as her favorite books.
- At 18, Mischa Barton finally decided to get her driver's license but admits she's not the best driver. "I think it is because of the way I've learned," she told PEOPLE. "It's always been on film sets, and so you're taught by stuntmen. They're like, 'Step on the gas and swerve!'"
- When Mischa Barton watches TV, she tunes into Animal Planet documentaries. "It's relaxing and you learn the most random facts," she told In Style. "I'm fascinated by anything shark-related."
- When Mischa Barton is feeling down, what's the one thing that can cheer her up? "That's easy – ice cream," the star said. "I like butter pecan Haagen-Dazs."
Mischa Barton: Biography 
- 1995
Early Inspiration
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner casts 9-year-old Barton in his play Slavs! as a young Russian, opposite Oscar winner Marisa Tomei. In 2004, Barton tells PEOPLE that Kushner "is the reason I act for a living."
- 1997 – 2001
From Broadway to the Big Screen
After appearing on Broadway, Barton makes her film debut as a socially awkward 10-year-old opposite Sam Rockwell in the 1997 drama Lawn Dogs. Two years later, the still little-known actress plays a memorably spooky ghost in The Sixth Sense, opposite Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis. She later takes on roles in Notting Hill and Lost and Delirious.
- 2003
Beach Blastoff
After meeting producer McG while guest-starring on his short-lived crime series Fastlane, Barton is cast as the popular and privileged Marissa Cooper for his new FOX series The OC. "She was our only choice for Marissa," McG tells PEOPLE. The teen drama, which costars Benjamin McKenzie, Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson, soon draws huge audiences, propelling Barton to stardom.
Photo Credits
Top Left: Lorenzo Agius/Getty
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Joan Marcus; Buena Vista/Photofest; Fox
