Mischa Barton

Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American actress known for her work in film, television, and stage productions. Her career began in theater, where she appeared in Tony Kushner's Slavs! and starred in James Lapine's Twelve Dreams at New York City's Lincoln Center. Barton made her screen debut with a guest role on the American soap opera All My Children (1995), and she also provided the voice for a character on the Nickelodeon cartoon series KaBlam! (1996–97). Her breakthrough in film came with the lead role in the drama Lawn Dogs (1997), opposite Sam Rockwell. She went on to appear in notable films such as the romantic comedy Notting Hill (1999) and M. Night Shyamalan's thriller The Sixth Sense (1999). Additionally, she starred in the indie crime drama Pups (1999).


Barton's career continued with appearances in the independent drama Lost and Delirious (2001) and a recurring role as Evan Rachel Wood's girlfriend on ABC's Once and Again (2001–02). However, she gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Marissa Cooper in the Fox television series The O.C. (2003–2006), earning her two Teen Choice Awards. This role propelled Barton to mainstream success, with Entertainment Weekly dubbing her the "It Girl" of 2003.
Following her success on television, Barton appeared in various film projects including the comedy remake St Trinian's (2007), the Richard Attenborough-directed drama Closing the Ring (2007), and Assassination of a High School President (2008). She also returned to television, starring in the short-lived CW series The Beautiful Life (2009), produced by Ashton Kutcher.


In 2012, Barton made a return to the stage, performing in the Irish production of Steel Magnolias. She continued to expand her acting repertoire with roles such as in Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2014), where she appeared alongside Martin Sheen. Barton has received critical acclaim for her performances in independent films, with the Los Angeles Times praising her "standout" role in Starcrossed (2014). More recently, she was cast in the first season of the MTV series The Hills: New Beginnings (2019–2021), as well as an extended guest role in the rebooted Australian soap opera Neighbours on Amazon Freevee and Network 10 in 2023.


Barton was born at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, London, to Nuala Quinn-Barton, an Irish producer, and Paul Marsden Barton, an English foreign exchange broker from Manchester.
Her maternal grandfather was an Irish language professor at Queen's University Belfast. Barton has two sisters, Hania (younger) and Zoe (older), with the latter being a barrister in London. Barton mentioned attending St. Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith briefly, but her family relocated to New York City when she was five years old. In 2006, she acquired US citizenship while retaining her British citizenship. She is also eligible for Irish citizenship through her mother.
Barton completed her education at the Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2004. Following that, she participated in a summer short course called Acting Shakespeare at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in June and July 2006, at the encouragement of Sir Richard Attenborough, who directed her in Closing the Ring.


Barton embarked on her acting journey at the tender age of eight, making her mark in the Off-Broadway debut of the 1994 play, Slavs!, penned by Tony Kushner. Vincent Canby of The New York Times lauded Barton's performance, describing it as "so fine" and "chillingly authoritative." New York magazine also commended her, portraying her as "a darling little girl" with consummate charm. She continued to shine in numerous Off-Broadway productions, notably taking a leading role in James Lapine's Twelve Dreams alongside Marisa Tomei at Lincoln Center. Canby once again praised Barton, noting her "sweet gravity" in the role of the doomed Emma.
In 1996, Barton secured a supporting role in Catherine Butterfield's Where the Truth Lies, which premiered at New York's Irish Repertory Theatre. The New York Times applauded Barton and her fellow child actress Brittany Boyd for their nuanced performances, avoiding overplaying the naivete and precocity of their characters. The following year, Barton graced the stage alongside Dianne Wiest at The Public Theater in Naomi Wallace's One Flea Spare. This production garnered critical acclaim and went on to win the prestigious Obie Award for Best Play.


Barton's film debut came in Lawn Dogs, a movie that garnered awards at film festivals worldwide. Her performance received critical acclaim, with Janet Maslin of The New York Times praising her "poised" portrayal, while Empire celebrated her "hypnotic central performance." Following this success, Barton graced the screen in Notting Hill (1999) and The Sixth Sense (1999), both of which achieved critical and commercial success, grossing $363,889,700 and $672,806,292, respectively. Additionally, Barton starred in Pups, described as a "Dog Day Afternoon for the MTV generation," alongside Burt Reynolds. Roger Ebert hailed Barton and her co-star Cameron Van Hoy for delivering "two of the most natural and freed performances I have seen by actors of any age."


Barton ventured into television in 1994, portraying a young Corvina Lang in flashbacks on the soap opera All My Children. She returned to the show in 1996, taking over the role of Lily Benton Montgomery from Michelle Trachtenberg. Barton's television credits expanded with a recurring role in eight episodes of Once and Again, where she played the girlfriend of Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood). In 2001, she returned to film and starred in the independent Canadian drama Lost and Delirious, earning praise for her performance alongside Piper Perabo and Jessica Paré. Barton also appeared in Julie Johnson (2001) alongside Lili Taylor and Courtney Love, portraying the daughter of a woman in a lesbian relationship. Additionally, she had a supporting role in the independent teen drama Tart (2001) with Brad Renfro and Dominique Swain.
Barton's television appearances include an episode of the Fox series Fastlane (2003). She also featured as the love interest in James Blunt's music video "Goodbye My Lover" (2005) and Enrique Iglesias' music video "Addicted" (2003).

References

1.  "Mischa Barton". Gala (in French). Prisma Média. 31 January 2017.
2. a b "Mischa Barton Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
3. a b c d "Mischa Barton". Hello. 24 January 1986. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
4. ^ "Mischa Barton Biography". Mischabarton.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
5. a b Montiquem, Fabien (31 May 2007). "Mischa Barton hurts her parents". Thebosh.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
6. ^ McQueen, Anne Marie (13 May 2012). "Mischa unveils a new collection". The National. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
7. ^ "Profiles – Hello!". 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
8. ^ Mischa Barton – Fearne and Mischa Barton. ITV2, 8 September 2010. [1] Archived 25 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ Carroll, Lauren (13 August 2009). "Mischa Barton's TV career back on track". IrishCentral. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
10. ^ "How I get dressed : Mischa Barton". The Observer. 15 April 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
11. ^ "Welcome to Solent Students' Union". Solentsu.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
12. a b Canby, Vincent (9 June 1995). "Theater Review; Fleshing Out Jung's Theory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014. Young Ms. Barton, who was so fine in Tony Kushner's "Slavs" at the New York Theater Workshop, has a sweet gravity as the doomed Emma.
13. ^ Canby, Vincent (18 December 1994). "SUNDAY VIEW; In 'Slavs!' Kushner Creates Tragic Burlesque". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014. All of the performers are good, and some are extremely good: [...] even the tiny, chillingly authoritative Ms. Barton.
14. ^ Simon, John. "From "Slavs!" to Slavonia". New York. 9 January 1995