Cristofle

First up, a very in-depth article that includes the title phrase...


‘Partying? I’d rather read a good book’

She may have gone off the rails as airhead Marissa in The OC, but in real life Mischa Barton is fabulously grounded. Here, the British-born actress tells ELAINE LIPWORTH about the latest dramas in her life

Mischa Barton is blonde and willowy and, although impeccably British-born, looks like the quintessential California girl. Even her name conjures up a lifestyle that is synonymous with hedonistic decadence, weird cults and esoteric therapies — just some of the activities enjoyed by those living on America’s wacky West Coast. When we meet, I wonder if Marissa Cooper, the outrageous airhead she portrays in The OC — the series about the rich and troubled in, yes, southern California — is nothing but a small-screen version of Mischa herself. But it soon becomes clear that Mischa and Marissa are poles apart.

I know I look the part, and people used to come up to me in the street and talk to me as if I really was a crazy party girl,’ she says. ‘But I don’t go out clubbing because that whole scene is too claustrophobic, and as for shopping… I’d rather walk my dogs, Ziggy Stardust and Charlie Barton. I don’t spend my evenings in glamorous restaurants, either — at home, I cook a mean lasagne, and some people say my potatoes au gratin are pretty on fire.’

Oh, to be so cool and together at just 21, especially when the glamorous face of young Hollywood is a composite of notorious party girls such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan. ‘I guess some people are disappointed that I don’t live like my character. I’m always being associated with the other girls, but we’re not in the same crowd and it seems strange that just because we’re all young actresses, people should lump us together. I have only met Paris once, and that was in passing. That said, it’s true that I am friendly with Nicole Richie, and I also know her father, Lionel. But you know people see young celebrities at the same parties and assume that we all know each other. I actually spend my evenings curled up with a good book. Dostoevsky and John Steinbeck are my favourite authors and I’m currently reading Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist.’

In The OC, Marissa was dramatically killed off in a car crash. The decision to write her out of the hit drama came as a huge shock, and was not of Mischa ’s choosing. ‘It was devastating,’ says the actress, ‘but I realised they were looking for a big finale for that series. Marissa had gone through a lot; she was a crazy girl and she needed closure. Of course leaving the show was strange, but it ended up feeling quite mutual. It was more about making an ending that people would talk about, and I think we achieved that.’ She shrugs her shoulders and wraps her arms around her knees. ‘Dying was kind of fun, to be honest.’ Now, she says it’s a relief to be free from the daily grind of filming a TV show. ‘I want to prove myself independently and find roles that will keep me alive as an actress.’ With that in mind, she’s doing everything possible to distance herself from the character she played for more than five years.

Of course, her fame has garnered her various attractive spin-offs such as lucrative modelling contracts with Neutrogena and Keds trainers, which she also has a hand in designing. ‘Modelling is incredibly easy,’ she says, fiddling with the collection of gold bangles her mother gave her for her birthday, and adding, ‘It’s a nice job and it’s ridiculous that you get paid so much for doing it.’

Like any young clothes-horse these days, Mischa is often targeted as one of those ubiquitous, size zero stars who provide unhealthy role models for teenagers. However, she says the accusations are absurd. ‘I’ve never been too thin. I love eating, specially Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream,’ she protests. ‘I’ve always felt a responsibility towards kids my age, and the “thin factor” has nothing to do with me. It is unfortunate because there are some actresses who have problems, which means that everyone else comes under the same umbrella. I have to say I’m horrible with exercise,’ she adds with a guilty grin. ‘I had a personal trainer for a while, but I’m quite lazy. I have a fast metabolism, so I don’t have to work out.’

Since leaving The OC, Mischa has been inundated with offers. Later this year she will be making a film, Malice In Sunderland, a dark take on the Lewis Carroll novel, and she is also set to star in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge in London’s West End. More recently, she played an innocent young woman in Lord Attenborough’s World War II movie, Closing The Ring. Attenborough (who had never seen The OC when he cast her) describes her performance as ‘devastating’ and compares her to Vivien Leigh.

‘Oh he’s so sweet, that’s very kind of him,’ giggles Mischa, when I relay the compliment. ‘I was thrilled to get the role — it was wonderful because Richard is so inspiring.’ She became firm friends with him, following an emotional experience the first time they met, when the director shared his grief over the tragic death of his daughter Jane, her mother-in-law Jane Holland, and his 14year-old granddaughter Lucy in the 2004 tsunami. ‘We were both crying and I felt very close to him,’ she says. ‘We talked about what he’d been through. He is very open about his loss, and you can feel the palpable caring energy from him. He just perseveres. But it seems like he’s found the right spiritual balance. I wasn’t expecting to cry, but I couldn’t help myself. I was just so taken aback — you feel love from him and he taught me such a lot.’ Because of their immediate bond, Mischa says acting for Lord Attenborough wasn’t remotely intimidating. ‘I realised afterwards that it should have been scary, but he made me feel comfortable and he had so much faith in me. He’s got a lot of patience and, being an actor himself, he knows just the right things to tell you as a director.’

Mischa was born in Hammersmith, west London, but her family — father Paul from Manchester, Irish mother Nuala and elder sister Zoe — moved to New York when she was five. Zoe, now 28, is back here, living in east London and is a barrister. A precociously talented performer, Mischa was discovered by an agent at summer camp at the age of eight. Her first job was in a commercial for jam, and she later won rave reviews in a production of Tony Kushner’s play, Slavs. She made her film debut in Lawn Dogs, and two years later won small parts in The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill. She was cast in The OC at 15.

‘I’m so proud of my roots. I feel very English and if we’d stayed in London I’d probably be a lawyer now,’ she laughs. ‘In my house you wouldn’t know that we weren’t in England.

I have Lucozade and Ribena in my fridge, and Marmite and Weetabix in the cupboard.’

Mischa still even sounds a little English at times. Her voice is deep and resonant, and there’s no trace of a Los Angeles drawl. That may be partly due to a Shakespeare course she took at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London last summer. Partly inspired by Lord Attenborough, RADA’s president, she spent two months in London. ‘He encouraged me, but learning more about Shakespeare has been a goal for years,’ says Mischa. It was humbling being in a class with other actors and going back to the basics.

‘I think some of the students were a little intimidated when they first saw me, but I was lucky as they were very accepting. The most embarrassing thing for me was the paparazzi showing up outside school every day. I tried to be normal but it’s impossible when there are men with cameras waiting for you wherever you go. I can never escape it.’

Mischa now lives in Los Angeles with her parents and younger sister Hania, who’s 18. ‘I really am a home-loving girl,’ she says. ‘When the show was first popular, I went through a phase of going out a lot. It was really exciting to be on the scene, but now I prefer to be with my family and I can’t imagine not living with my little sister, as I like to keep an eye on her. She is also one of my best friends.’

But living at home isn’t exactly what you might imagine — Mischa has her own poolside apartment in the grounds of her parents’ house in Beverly Hills. ‘My family have been very important in helping to keep me stable,’ she says. I could have made a lot of mistakes had it not been for their guidance. I never actually went crazy, thank God. But I didn’t always choose my friends particularly carefully. Life was hectic when I was first on the show because all of a sudden you’re famous, so people invite you to every party. It was overwhelming, but I managed to keep my head on my shoulders.’

After dating, and breaking up from actor and billion-dollar oil heir Brandon Davis, she has just ended another very public (and very stormy) relationship with musician Cisco Adler. The couple split up after a naked photograph of him appeared on the internet. ‘It’s not easy to have a relationship because every single thing you do is scrutinised. I have to find someone who’s right for me,’ she says, not sounding remotely distraught about her recent break-up. ‘Sometimes I say I want someone “normal”, but I don’t know if I really mean that. ‘I think it’s hard for any man to be with me, because I see the way my family, and everyone around me, struggles to live with my fame. It’s hard to get used to people talking about me and looking at me. And it’s hard to find guys on my wavelength because I am such a driven person, and always working.’

So, just what is she looking for in a relationship? ‘Someone who has a great sense of humour. That’s important, because if I can laugh, then I will always be happy. I like to be lighthearted in my downtime. My life is all about humour, plus some depth, intelligence and confidence; that’s what matters to me the most.’ Finding her own way hasn’t been a problem for Mischa, so far. She has clear ideas about her position in life, and has a formidably pragmatic approach to her work. She describes herself as having ‘a very modern career’, and you can tell that, as far as possible, she has already mapped out her future. ‘I’ve thought about all kinds of other professions, I was interested in psychiatry, psychology and journalism, but I’m always drawn back to acting.

‘I’ve always felt more mature than other girls, but maybe that’s because I made 15 films before I did The OC. I’ve experienced more life than most people my age, and it’s made me grow up fast. I don’t think I missed out on childhood, though. I have just had to find my own way.’
Closing The Ring is out later this year.

Credit: Pressdisplay

**********************************************************

The latest 'razzi vid. Her, er, "road rage" on display:

Mischa's Ruff Ride



Mischa Barton had a case of canine absentmindedness in Beverly Hills yesterday, and then had a little hissy fit of road rage, captured by paparazzi.

After brunching at La Conversation in West Hollywood -- and nearly forgetting that her dog was tied up at the front of the place -- a bohemian-looking Barton got caught up in a mini-traffic jam while trying to get out of the parking lot, and girl was not happy about it. Honking her horn and yelling, a miffed Mischa was mired in gridlock for only a few minutes before speeding off.

Video: TMZ: Video Player

Source: Mischa's Ruff Ride - TMZ.com

********************************************************

Random tidbits:

-Mischa is on the cover of Spanish Marie Claire and Japan's Elle.
-Virgin Territory release date has been pushed AGAIN to September 21st 2007.
-Mischa is apparently going to star in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge in London’s West End later this year.
-When asked recently if she watched the last season of The OC, she said she did not.



Carry on!

oy_humbug

Title

Erica_85

I got a Finishline catalog in the mail today. There's a Keds two page spread titled "Hangin' Out With Mischa." All the shoes are hanging from a clothes line along with the following picture. And there's a quote at the bottom with her signature.



"You can't get any cooler than Keds. Their great new skimmers and slip-ons really fit my style. Whether I'm wearing my skinny jeans or a cute little dress, Keds goes with it all. What can I say? I just love Keds."

eatyourgreens

Char, your icon is the shiz! I love "Garden State"!

Seriously, Keds and Mischa is like the best endorsement deal ever. You can tell she's behind the product 100% because she's always wearing them, and you can tell they're behind her 100% because the way they speak about her. It's really awesome!

CreekFreak

Mischa made Keds cool again.

eatyourgreens

I mean, even Pam wears Keds.

oy_humbug

I got a bunch of cool Garden State avies over the weekend, Chris. You're going to be jealous.

eatyourgreens

I will be jealous!

your_konstantine

Whitest Keds!!!

She probably bought them because of Mischa's awesomeness!

eatyourgreens

That's why she got the Dundee in my icon. And she probably did get them because of Mischa.

Wouldn't it have been awesome if they wrote Mischa into the acceptance speech?

CreekFreak

Vote for Mischa.

Television Without Pity � The O.C.

I love the comment TWoP made. At least she's making movies. Is Ben even DOING anything?

Erica_85

Voted!

Cristofle

Done!

tender looks

I'll vote as soon as I can!

-Alicia-

Voted for Mischa.

I actually laughed out loud that Ben was in the lead.