Media > Articles > Mischa Barton Venice Magazine: Mischa Barton Picks a Winner in Fox TV's "The O.C." by Steve Baltin photography Suzuki K makeup Shiyena/ exclusive artists mgmt/ hair Ian James stylist Lisa Bojarski In discussing her TV alter ego, Marissa Cooper, on the new Fox series "The O.C.," 17-year-old actress Mischa Barton says, "She's a bit of an overachiever." Surprisingly, that is not one of the characteristics Barton feels she shares with Marissa. This despite the fact that the über-talented London-born actress has already appeared on Broadway (at the age of nine), in a diverse body of films from the indie sleeper Lawn Dogs to blockbuster fare like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, and TV (an eight-episode arc on the acclaimed series "Once and Again"). Oh, she also graduated high school at 15 (though she continues to take classes, for maintaining normalcy), plans to go to college, and has aspirations of one day adapting and directing period pieces. One trait Barton says she does share with Marissa is a sense of maturity from spending so much time around adults. Barton is remarkably articulate and almost eerily poised. In discussing the reasons she agreed to do a series, she refers continually to Marissa's arc for growth, not a few episodes in, but two years down the line. It also doesn't hurt that the series, a sort of "Beverly Hills, 90210" for Newport Beach, was created by director McG (Charlie's Angels) and the pilot and first episode were directed by Doug Liman (Swingers, Go, the Bourne Identity). Venice caught up with Barton at the Santa Monica home she is renting for the summer, while she films "The O.C." Venice: So, what did you do this weekend? Mischa Barton: I think I did a photo shoot Saturday and then yesterday I went to a cast dinner and then we went to Shane West's birthday thing. How long have you been filming on the show? We did the pilot and that was a little while ago and then almost immediately we knew we were going to get picked up. As we were filming it we were pretty certain and then we found out for sure when I was back in New York. I did the up-fronts there and now we're going into our second episode. Friday we completed our first episode with Doug. Doug directed the pilot and this past episode. And now he has to go off and direct a film and we're going to get some other directors in the meantime. I'm really excited because I think when you start off with Doug Liman that sets a precedent for really good directors. Directors who did episodes of "The Sopranos" and "24" said they were going to do our show. What attracted you to the series? I went in to meet with (creators) McG and Josh (Schwartz) and we were talking about the character and where they wanted to go with it. I loved the pilot; I was just attracted to Marissa because it was clear in the pilot that she was the one out of the more superficial set who had a greater depth to her. And she was aware that she was privileged and she knew that she was living a good life and that it might not always last. And I was like, 'That could really, if you develop it right, be such an incredible character.' She could fall off the tracks, fall for this bad boy, and really explore a much darker side of Marissa and the whole Newport scene. I thought, 'Wow, this is so great,' so I went and I talked to the writers. They had this awesome vision for her where she was just this girl who was so much more mature. Like naturally she had this maturity for her age. I'm 17 and Marissa is 17, so it's like playing my age for my age. They were like, "Do you think you can be Marissa?" And I was pretty sure that I could. I just felt if you're going to do television, you want writers and directors who you think are really going to, in the long run, still make it interesting for you. Doug and McG are incredible and they're so clear on their vision. I just didn't think it was going to end up one of those things that are really cheesy in two years and you're like, 'No, why did I ever...It's ruined me for life.' But just the writing and where they were going with it, because they were willing to let it change. It's not going to stay the same. It's interesting to hear you talk about it, because you obviously have really thought this character through in the long run. Yeah, and that's basically why I chose the role. She is my age; she is a little bit of me, and as Josh has been writing it, I'm noticing he's starting to put things in which I've literally said or are things that I like. And it's interesting. I really think there are a lot of places you can go with Marissa, because she is mature and kind of polished and everything girls would want to be, but then maybe not what they would expect to be. It's not everything it's cracked up to be, which is a basic lesson about people: don't judge them by their looks and their material possessions. And then there's kind of the cliché that she falls for the bad boy, although she doesn't at first. She's going to go off and try to make things work in her social circles because she knows that's what she's supposed to do. So I just thought there's so much time to work with that and play with the relationship between her and her mom, which is really strained, and the relationship between her and her dad, which is much more in tune. I guess the relationship with her dad is what's really going to develop. It definitely does in the next episode. You mentioned there's a little bit of you in Marissa. What are those similarities? Marissa's a bit of an overachiever in general. She strives to be the smartest in school, the most friendly to the parents, the one the parents most adore; she wants to take care of the kids - whatever it takes to get into a good college and be perfect on the outside. That's not really me, but she is mature for her age. It means that she's polished in public, like perfect. And then she has her other side, which is very much her personality. I can understand the maturity and having to be in public, meeting people all the time. I'm constantly around adults and so is Marissa. She has her high school life and then her public life. I'm still in high school, so I can relate to that easily. And her issues with boys, and I do always fall for the bad boy. I can understand where she's coming from. I'm not like, 'Why does she do that? I don't understand, Josh.' I think he's written it pretty realistically for young girls out there. "The O.C." premieres on Tuesday, August 5, at 8PM on the Fox Network. Check it out. Thanks to MISCHABARTON.com for this! 2003 Virtual Rain. This is an unofficial fansite with no relation to FOX, Warner Brothers, or any of their associates. This is just a fansite opened for the purpose of exposing the show "The O.C" to new fans across the internet. Original copyright of all photos remain to FOX/WB and are used purely for the purpose of enjoying the show and furthering its fanbase.