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 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 that 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 was only a matter of time that 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 Mischa 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 15, Mischa had comprised an impressive acting resume that some adult actors today can 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

In the span of a few years, Barton landed the lead role in televisions most buzzed about teen show; sky rocketed to the top of Hollywood's most in demand actresses list; and at the conclusion of The OC's third season, was 'let go' from her role as troubled Marissa Cooper. The irony of course lies with the fact that the loss of a troubled character resulted into troubling ratings for the show which, without Barton, was subsequently axed by the FOX network. 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.

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 worlds top designers, Barton would be seen sporting items from her now trademark Chanel bag collection to being a force in launching the skinny jeans craze. Today she has a reputation of being 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. Clothing 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.

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, Mischa 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 withstanding contract is with shoe company Keds who 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 attends 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 with the media's attention on her love life. Both of Barton's heavily publicized romances have since ended, Barton choosing to spend most of her free time with her family and much-adored pets.

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 signs of slowing down, Barton has 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. 2007 began with an announcement of Barton's involvement in the soon to be filmed dark take on Alice in Wonderland, titled Malice in Wonderland. 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 Finding t.A.T.u. August 2007 would see Barton back in the US filming Yari Film Group's The Sophomore alongside Bruce Willis. Currently Barton has seven films either awaiting release or in production so it appears as if 2008 will be just be as hectic as 2007.

All this at the tender age of 21. Mischa Barton is just getting started.


Credit for biographical extracts: Yahoo! & Ask Men