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Mischa Barton Profile |
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Birth Date: January 24, 1986
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Birth Place: London, England, UK
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Birth Name: Mischa Anne Barton
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Height: 5'9"
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Biography |
Mischa Anne Barton was born in London, England, on January
24th, 1986, to an English father and Irish mother. By the
time she was 4 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. She grew up with American values that
often made her clash with her parents; they hadn't yet
adjusted to the culture shock. Nevertheless, the Bartons
were always a tight family.
a precocious camper
At the age of 8, Mischa and one of her two sisters were sent
to summer camp. One of the activities involved the children
writing their own monologues and performing them for their
parents. Mischa wrote a piece about turtles and her delivery
was so impressive that an agent who was scouting for talent
told her parents they had a star on their hands.
Her parents were thrilled of course, but at the same time
wondered if it was an appropriate path for their daughter.
When she was 9 and in the fifth grade, Mischa decided that
it was something she definitely wanted to try.
She got her start after auditioning for the lead role in
Tony Kushner's play, Slavs!. Since the part required her to
have a Russian accent, she got herself an acting coach to
master it. Not only did she get the role but she also got to
share the stage with future Oscar winner Marisa Tomei.
Mischa's rave reviews led to other theatrical productions
such as James Lapine's Twelve Dreams, which was produced at
the celebrated Lincoln Center, and Where the Truth Lies and
One Flea Spare, which were both part of the New York
Shakespeare Festival.
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."
But it was Barton's acting skills that gave her the most
recognition. One of her first feature film roles was in
1997's Lawn Dogs, opposite Sam Rockwell. In 1999, she
appeared in Pups, a modern take on Bonnie & Clyde; the
summer hit Notting Hill, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant;
and the international Bruce Willis blockbuster The Sixth
Sense, in which she played a young ghost seeking reparation.
For the next couple of years, Barton appeared with Jennifer
Jason Leigh and Drew Barrymore in Skipped Parts (2000),
co-starred with Jessica Alba in Paranoid (2000), starred
alongside Melanie Griffith and Dominique Swain in Tart
(2001), appeared with Courtney Love and Lili Taylor in Julie
Johnson (2001), and starred in Lost and Delirious (2001), a
film that explored lesbianism at a private boarding school.
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. In
2003, she acted with Madeleine Stowe in the horror thriller,
Octane.
But what is sure to make her popular to millions for years
to come, is her role in the new FOX television show, The O.C.
In this primetime melodrama geared toward young adults -- a
Beverly Hills, 90210 clone as some have branded it -- Mischa
portrays a wealthy and popular Orange County high school
student who has difficulty adjusting to her surroundings.
Although she still attends Manhattan's Professional
Children's School, the extraordinary popularity of her new
TV show guarantees that we haven't seen the last of Mischa
Barton. In addition to being the subject of magazine
pictorials, she's currently appearing in Neutrogena print
ads and the new Enrique Iglesias video "Addicted," which
sure helps us get our fix. |
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Other
Information |
Older sister of Hania Barton & younger sister of Zoe Barton
(Barrister)
'It Girl 2003' according to Entertainment Weekly's 'It List'
for top Creative People in Entertainment
Is a spokesperson for Neutrogena
Is half English and half Irish
Born in London, England, but moved to New York when she was
still a toddler.
Attends The Professional Children's School in Manhattan, New
York. Finishing up her senior year via correspondence. Is
reportedly a straight-A student.
Has aspirations to attend the Yale School of Drama in New
Haven, Connecticut after graduation from high school.
Favorite book: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Favorite author: William Shakespeare, George Orwell.
Favorite movies: Say Anything... (1989), Almost Famous
(2000), The Godfather (1972) and The Graduate (1967).
Pet: Angelo, a cat
Shares a birthday with actor Matthew Lillard and former
Olympian Mary Lou Retton.
Born the same day as Ricky Ullman and Jeff Doiron.
Older sister Zoe is a barrister in London
Mother's name is Nuala
As a child, she was a model with Ford Modeling agency
Named #33 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Younger sister is an aspiring singer.
Still maintains her British citizenship.
Has a song named after her on Rozino Smith's 2005 album,
"Blurry Summer"; entitled "Mischa Barton". |
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