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Mischa Barton Biography

Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born January 24, 1986) is an English American film, television, and stage actress, perhaps best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C.

Mischa Barton was born in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom to an Irish mother, Nuala (née Quinn), a photographer, and an English father, Paul Marsden Barton, a foreign exchange broker. She has two sisters, Hania and Zoe. Barton moved to New York City at the age of four and became a naturalised citizen of the United States in Los Angeles on February 3, 2006. Barton graduated from the Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2004, and attended classes at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the summer of 2006.

Barton began acting at the age of eight (as she said on The Friday Night Project), co-starring in the Off Broadway premiere of Slavs!, written by Tony Kushner. She appeared in several other Off Broadway productions, taking a lead role in James Lapine's Twelve Dreams at Lincoln Center. She made her film debut in Lawn Dogs, which won awards at film festivals around the world. Since then, she has appeared in several films, such as The Sixth Sense, Notting Hill, St Trinians, and Closing the Ring. In St Trinians, dressed in a black brassiere covered by the sheerest of blouses, she apparered as a former head girl of that school advising current senior pupils on fashion and style.

Barton first appeared on television in 1996, as young Lily Montgomery in the soap opera All My Children, and in a modern re-make of Bonnie and Clyde. She guest-starred in eight episodes of the television series Once and Again as Jessie Sammler's (Evan Rachel Wood's) girlfriend, Katie Singer. Other television appearances include an episode of the FOX series Fastlane, James Blunt's music video "Goodbye My Lover", and Enrique Iglesias' music video "Addicted".

In August 2003, Fox premiered the television series The O.C., about affluent teenagers with stormy personal lives who reside in scenic Orange County, California. The show became an overnight success, and it put Barton on the map as Marissa Cooper, until her departure from the show in the third-season finale in May 2006. The O.C. dropped in ratings dramatically during its third and fourth seasons, and ended in early 2007.

In July 2006, Barton appeared on the British comedy/variety show The Friday Night Project as a guest host.

Recently, Barton was cast in an upcoming international film produced by the Russian band t.A.T.u., called You and I.[4] She appeared in Assassination of a High School President, co-starring Bruce Willis, when the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Barton dated oil heir Brandon Davis, grandson of Marvin Davis, from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 she was in a relationship with Whitestarr lead singer, and ex of Kimberly Stewart, Cisco Adler. They separated in 2007 when nude pictures of Adler began to circulate on the internet. At the end of 2007 there were rumours of a brief fling with actor, model and musician Jamie Dornan, after the two were seen leaving an Arcade Fire gig together in Brixton, London, but Barton has always denied they pursued a relationship. Barton is currently dating Rooney guitarist Taylor Locke (who appeared with his band on an episode of The O.C. back in 2004).

Source: Wikipedia