Biography

Hailed as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People, Mischa Barton has come a long way at such a young age. Her irresistible, girl-next-door charm on T.V. and her precocious demeanor on the big-screen have made Mischa one of the most sought-after actresses in young Hollywood.

Mischa Anne Barton was born in London, England, on January 24th, 1986, to an English father and Irish mother. By the time she was 5 years old, the family moved to New York City, where her father continued to work in the world of finance. This allowed Mischa to have a relatively privileged upbringing, which consisted of traveling across the globe and sampling the best things in life.

a precocious camper

At 8, Barton and her sister attended summer camp, where they were asked to write and perform their own monologues. Barton’s piece about turtles was so compelling that she caught the attention of an agent who was scouting new talent. Excited about the news, Barton’s parents jumped at the opportunity to help nurture their daughter’s unique talents and supported her decision to pursue acting at such an early age. Barton first began her road to stardom in theater, where she landed the lead role in Tony Kushner’s “Slavs!” (1994-1995) and starred opposite future Oscar winner Marissa Tomei. She went on to do more Broadway productions such as James Lapine’s “Twelve Dreams” (1995) and Catherine Butterfield’s “Where the Truth Lies” (1996), which was part of the New York Shakespeare Festival. Barton’s riveting stage presence not only opened more doors to acting, but her striking beauty also caught the attention of the modeling world.

a world of options

Doing theater was rewarding but Barton was hungry for more. In 1994, she became a recurring character on the long-running ABC soap opera All My Children, a job she held for a year. But in the meantime, her beauty was also attracting interest.

Before she had entered her teens, Barton was signed to the Ford Modeling Agency. In that capacity, she modeled in a Calvin Klein campaign and worked for the likes of Gitano and Vogue. Mischa admits that the work is difficult but very rewarding, since “it’s every teenager’s dream.”

With a rising career, it would be only a matter of time before Barton’s hard work and much deserved exposure would pay off. In 1997, Barton made her big-screen debut with the Sundance favorite, “Lawn Dogs,” where she proved her acting chops as an alienated girl who stirs up controversy in her neighborhood after befriending an outcast. Shortly after, Barton snatched small, but lasting roles in 1999′s “Notting Hill” and the hair-raising thriller, “The Sixth Sense.” Her vast acting ability allowed Barton to take on distinct roles, unlike most other child actors. In 2000, Barton played a young girl eager to lose her virginity in “Skipped Parts” alongside Drew Barrymore, and in 2001 she was the shy, reserved roommate of lesbian lovers at a strict boarding school in “Lost and Delirious.” At just 15, Barton had already developed an impressive resume that some adult actors today could only dream of having, and she didn’t stop there.

on her way…

Barton demonstrated her talents once more as she returned to television with a recurring role in the critically-acclaimed ABC show Once and Again during its 2001-2002 season. Having a knack for choosing unexpected and somewhat controversial roles, Barton along with rising star Evan Rachel Wood embarked on one of television’s first on-screen lesbian relationships. In 2003, she acted with Madeleine Stowe in the horror thriller, Octane. Appearing in a music video for Enqrique Iglesias’ Addicted, Barton would later also appear in James Blunt’s Goodbye My Lover.

Catching the eye of producer McG while appearing in an episode of FOX’s short lived Fastlane, Barton would soon find herself entering a world of drug use, alcoholism, heartbreak and socialites; otherwise known as Orange County.

welcome to the oc, bitch

The next few years would prove to be the most hectic for Barton. She landed the lead role in television’s most buzzed about teen show playing the troubled girl-next-door, Marissa Cooper. Marissa would become one of the most controversial characters on primetime television. Some people loved her, others hated her. But EVERYBODY talked about her. The media exposure sky rocketed Barton to the top of Hollywood’s most in demand actresses list, where she would become a tabloid darling and would find herself propelled into the world of fashion, both as a style icon and a working model.  However, tragedy struck at the conclusion of The OC’s third season when Marissa Cooper was killed in car accident thus ending Barton’s relationship with the show. Some tabloids would have you believe that Barton had quit the show, but it was actually the producers of the show who had decided on a “lighter” creative direction and had felt that Marissa was too dark of a character to fit the new mold. The new “lighter” direction did not work. Barton’s exit resulted in troubling ratings for the show and was canceled at the conclusion of the shortened fourth season. Despite leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of an army of fans, Barton’s time on The OC did not pass by without a silver lining. She had become a recognized actress, model and celebrity in her own right who had transcended the now defunct show.

But first let’s go back to the beginning, when The OC had first started.

fame. celebrity. it girl.

These are all words one could use to describe Barton’s life from the year 2003 onwards.

From what felt like day dot, Barton would rapidly emerge as one of Hollywood’s leading style icons. Everything she wore, from every day casual wear to glamorous red carpet frocks, would appear globally in all the leading fashion magazines. Developing respectful relationships with the world’s top designers, Barton would find herself at the forefront of trend making. Most notably, Barton had become famous for pairing her vast Chanel handbag collection with everyday casual wear and for pioneering the skinny jeans craze. Today she has a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most eclectic dressers, never failing to surprise and continuously setting new trends with her fashion ideals of mixing vintage with modern. You will find Barton both on the best dressed list and on the worst dressed list as the Mischa Barton look is about experimenting with clothing and allowing your own personality to shine through. Clothing, however, was not her only foray into style as Barton’s love of vamp-coloured fingernails and flat shoes would further cement her under the title of trend setter. The Mischa Barton look was born.

Her relationship with fashion and beauty in real life seamlessly transferred over to the pages of glossy magazines with Barton appearing on literally hundreds upon hundreds of covers. Becoming a celebrity on a worldwide scale meant that Barton’s appeal would transcend geographical borders, gender, culture and age group as she has received the honour of gracing such magazine covers as both Australian and British Vogue, InStyle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar and FHM – to name a few. She would regularly be feautred in editorials for top magazine publications in a plethora of countries, everywhere from Britain, Australia, Italy, Spain and France to Germany, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and of course the US. Barton would spend a lot of time traveling, allowing her to nurture these relationships with the media the world over.

Currently represented by one of the world’s top modeling agencies (IMG Models), Barton would also delve into the world of endorsements. Beginning with skincare giant Neutrogena where Barton was featured internationally in both print and television campaigns, she would also appear in print advertisements for Aeropostale and Dooney & Burke. In Europe and Asia, Barton appeared in campaigns for clothing brands Jaspal, JC, Morgan De Toi, Accessorize and Italian fashion house Iceberg. In Australia, Barton was invited as the guest of honour for retail giant David Jones’ Summer Collection Launch where during an in-store appearance the department store was shut down due to an overwhelming crowd of over 10,000 screaming fans. Whilst on her trek downunder, Barton also appeared in a television campaign for gossip magazine Famous. Barton also appeared in several seasonal print campaigns for clothing brand Bebe where she would also film the brand’s first ever televised commercial in 2006. Barton’s longest standing contract would turn out to be with shoe company Keds as they had opted to extend Barton’s contract through to the end of 2007 after a very successful campaign launch in 2004. Appearing as the international face for the Keds brand, Barton is seen in print ads worldwide and has attended several in-store signings to greet her fans.

Alongside working with companies, Barton would also lend her beauty to raise awareness. Appearing in campaigns for Climate Star and Got Milk! (sporting the famous milk moustache), Barton would also go on to work with more serious organizations. In Britain, Barton appeared in print and attended in-store signings for SAFE (Skin Awareness For Everyone) in association with Superdrug. She would also lend her celebrity to TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) working in association with Visa Swap. Back in the US, Barton appeared in print advertisements for children’s charity Keep a Child Alive and has also been showcased on news programs protesting against the closure of an animal shelter in LA.

With all the glitz and glam, fame didn’t come without personal sacrifice. Quickly becoming a paparazzi favourite, Barton’s photo would be taken daily and every move she made from buying a coffee to walking her two dogs (Charlie and Ziggy) would become gossip-worthy news. This aspect of her lifestyle was made most evident from the media’s attention on her love life. Barton’s first two heavily publicized romances have since ended (first with Brandon Davis and later with rocker Cisco Adler).

At her core however, Barton has always had a love affair with film. Her foray back to the silver screen began with The Oh in Ohio in which she starred alongside Paul Rudd, Parker Posey and Danny DeVito. In 2005, a trip abroad to Italy was where Barton filmed a movie adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s enduring classic “The Decameron” alongside rising star Hayden Christensen. This was to be but a taste of the vast array of movie roles that Barton would choose to pursue over the course of the following years.

here to stay

Showing no sign of slowing down, Barton made the most of 2007. Beginning with a trip to Canada in the second half of 2006 to film the epic romance Closing the Ring alongside Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer and newcomer Stephen Amell. Followed by a trip to North Carolina to film indie drama Don’t Fade Away with Summerland alum Ryan Kwanten. Next was a trip to Cannes to promote her role in the British production St. Trinian’s alongside Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. On the heels of filming St. Trinian’s, Barton jetted over to Russia to film the tentatively titled You and I and August 2007 would see Barton back in the US filming Yari Film Group’s Assassination of a High School President alongside Bruce Willis. September 2007 saw Barton extend her voice to another good cause by launching World Contraception Day in Germany. And October 2007 saw Keds once again extend Barton’s contract through to Summer 2008. A trip to Canada in October 2007 would see Barton back in the realm of horror movies filming Walled In alongside Deborah Kara Unger and Cameron Bright. December then came around where Barton secured a role in the psycho-thriller Homecoming opposite Matt Long and 90210′s Jessica Stroup. But it was during Christmas break from filming when the world would hear of Barton’s epic mistake…she was arrested for a DUI.

lessons learned

Barton was arrested early in the morning of December 27th, 2007 in West Hollywood where she was taken to a police station and released on $10,000 bail at approximately 10am. Barton made her first public announcement when she called into Ryan Seacrest’s radio show and accepted full responsibility. She had revealed that she was at a friend’s house and was trying to get her car home when the arrest occurred. Barton was officially charged in February 2008 and was sentenced to three years unsupervised probation in April 2008 where Barton plead no contest to the misdemeanor charges. Barton was also ordered to complete a three month alcohol education class and pay a fine of $2,000. Since the arrest, Barton has made several statements condemning her behaviour and vowing not to behave in such a reckless way again. Additionally, Barton has opted to be accompanied by a driver.

2008 was not to be all gloom and media scandal, Barton quickly dusted herself off and continued production on Homecoming in January 2008. The film was successfully completed and slated for theatrical release on July 17th, 2009. Barton then jetted off to the Sundance Film Festival alongside Reece Thompson and director Brett Simon to promote Assassination of a High School President. January 2008 also saw Mischa’s second campaign for fashion house Iceberg launch. Over the next few months the public would see a new romance blossom between Barton and Taylor Locke from the indie-band Rooney. April 2008 saw Barton head back down to Australia where she was invited as a guest to the MTV Australia Awards. Her stay was then extended as Barton was asked to help launch the first day of Australian Fashion Week. The middle of the year would then come around where Barton would try her hand at designing a handbag collection launching in July of 2008. The collection would prove to be a very successful endeavor. Shortly after the collection hit stores, Barton drew her attention back to the silver screen by securing a role opposite Martin Sheen titled Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain based on an industrial disaster in India. September 2008 saw two significant announcements in Barton’s life. One would be the break-up of Barton’s relationship with Taylor Locke and the other a new design collaboration for a hair accessories collection with Stacey Lapidus. Barton also cemented her role as an ambassador for charity Save the Children in September 2008 by visiting a primary school in Soweto where got to see first hand the impact of malnourishment and AIDS. Barton would also continue her work with Lupus LA and become an ambassador for charity Hear the World. November 2008 saw Barton enter the digital age by launching an official blog online. She would also attend the grand opening of Atlantis, The Palm Resort, in Dubai which would garner worldwide media attention for its epic scale. December 2008 saw Barton close out the year with another blooming romance (Luke Pritchard from The Kooks – which would end in March 2009) and she would head over to India to begin production on Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain.

the beauty lands in the beautiful life

The beginning of 2009 would see Mischa trek from various cities in the world; London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan etc. Where she would continue her presence as a fashion icon by attending various fashion shows and participating in countless modeling assignments for magazine editorials. 2009 would also mark Barton’s latest endorsement by appearing as the face of haircare giant Herbal Essences. February 2009 would see the announcement of Barton’s next feature film titled The Science of Cool (still currently in pre-production). But it would be March 2009 which would showcase Barton’s biggest project since The OC, with the announcement of a starring role in a new CW drama titled The Beautiful Life executive produced by Ashton Kutcher. Joining the cast would be a couple of other recognized names including Disney darling Sara Paxton, High School Musical album Corbin Bleu and ex-supermodel turned business mogel Elle Macpherson. In April 2009, Barton continued her charitable work and created a piece of charity artwork  for Australian clothing label Sass & Bide. Named ‘The Shine Collective’ (an initiative of Sass & Bide with Barnarados), the art is to be auctioned off in July 2009 with proceeds going to creative counseling workshops for abused children in Britain and Australia. May 2009 would see the announcement of an official series pick up for the new show with production slated to begin mid-July 2009.

With work continuing on both her handbag and hair accessories collections and continued involvement with various charities and endorsement contracts, Barton is sure to have an extremely hectic year ahead.

Portions of this biography have been extracted from: Yahoo! & Ask Men