Who is Mischa Barton and when does she join Neighbours reboot?
CAST your mind back to the early noughties and a young Mischa Barton burst onto the scene in the hit teen drama The O.C.
Now over two decades on, and the actress is all grown up and heading Down Under.
Who is Mischa Barton?
Fans may be surprised to hear that Mischa was actually born on January 24, 1986 in Hammersmith, London.
The British-American actress then moved to the New York with her family when she was still young.
Mischa shot to fame as a child star in big blockbuster movies like Notting Hill, and The Sixth Sense.
Her other big film role was starring in the 2007 remake of St Trinian’s.
What TV shows is Mischa Barton famous for?
Mischa’s breakout role was playing Marissa Cooper on The O.C..
She appeared on 76 episodes of the series which aired from 2003 until 2007, before being killed off in season 3.
In 2021, the actress opened up about her exit from the popular teen drama in a tell-all interview.
Speaking to E! News she said: “I was working so hard, the longest hours probably out of all the characters.
“It wasn’t an easy character for me to play because it wasn’t me, which is why I think people liked it or thought Marissa was funny and latched on to her.”
Mischa went on: “So halfway through season two I would say, when we started doubling up on episodes and shooting [became] so much harder, and again a lot of that was too much for me,” she said.
“I didn’t know where the character was going. I look back on it pretty fondly, but there’s stuff I think people did wrong and the way they handled it. So, I just didn’t feel I could keep going.”
After a break from showbiz, Mischa returned to the scene to star in reality show, The Hills: New Beginnings, but left after one season.
Is Mischa Barton married and does she have children?
As of 2023 Mischa is not married nor does she have any children.
The actress is though in a relationship, and has been dating boyfriend Gian Marco Flamini since 2021.
Before him Mischa was was dating James Abercombie.
When does Mischa Barton join Neighbours?
On April 17, 2023 it was announced that Mischa had joined the cast of Neighbours.
Speaking in a statement she said: “I’m excited to be part of this iconic show’s next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia, a place I know and love!
“I think the character of Reece is going to be a great role for me to explore and play with.”
It comes as the long-running Australian soap started production on the new series, nearly a year after it was axed by Channel 5 in 2022.
It was previously announced that Amazon Freevee had struck a deal with the show’s production Freemantle to revive Neighbours.