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Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton

Actor · Born January 24, 1986 (40) · Hammersmith, London, UK

Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American film, television, and stage actress. She began her career onstage, appearing in Tony Kushner's Slavs! and took the lead in James Lapine's Twelve Dreams at New York City's Lincoln Center. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the American soap opera All My Children (1995) and voicing Betty Ann Bongo on the Nickelodeon cartoon series KaBlam! (1996–97). Her first significant film role was as the protagonist of Lawn Dogs (1997), a drama co-starring Sam Rockwell. She appeared in major pictures such as the romantic comedy Notting Hill (1999) and M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller The Sixth Sense (1999). She also starred in the indie crime drama Pups (1999). Barton later appeared in the independent drama Lost and Delirious (2001) and guest-starred as Evan Rachel Wood's girlfriend on ABC's Once and Again (2001–02). She played Marissa Cooper in the Fox television series The O.C.(2003–2006), for which she received two Teen Choice Awards. The role brought Barton into mainstream fame, and Entertainment Weekly named her the "It Girl" of 2003. Barton has since appeared in the comedy remake St Trinian's (2007), the Richard Attenborough–directed drama Closing the Ring (2007) and Assassination of a High School President (2008). She returned to television, starring in the short-lived Ashton Kutcher-produced CW series The Beautiful Life (2009). In 2012, she returned to the stage, performing in the Irish production of Steel Magnolias. She also appeared alongside Martin Sheen in Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2014). She has garnered critical praise for her roles in independent films, with the Los Angeles Times praising her "standout" performance in Starcrossed (2014). Barton was cast in the first season of the MTV series The Hills: New Beginnings (2019–2021), a reboot of The Hills. In 2023, she was cast in an extended guest role for the rebooted Australian soap opera Neighbours on Amazon Freevee and Network 10. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mischa Barton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 24, 1986 (40)
From
Hammersmith, London, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
54 on MovieCove · 71 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 2% in 30 days

What are Mischa Barton's films like?

Across their 44 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 3rd percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 6th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 8th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Family2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Family movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Survival
25%
Morality
17%
Self
16%
Power
6%
Society
6%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma8 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 43 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 10 · Dark 22

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 33 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 18 · Intense 15

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 22 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 32 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 19 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 18 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 12

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

33 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 15 of 33 analyzed roles.

Hero
15 of 33
Ally
9 of 33
Shapeshifter
3 of 33
Mentor
3 of 33
Shadow
2 of 33
Herald
1 of 33
Show the 33 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
29
Dread
17
Melancholic
20
Hopeful
7
Bittersweet
7
Other
37

How their films linger

Unsettling18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 14 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous14

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mischa Barton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 39 of their 54 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (22).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mischa Barton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

71 credits, 54 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Sleepwalker(2026)

    as Joelle

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Murder at the Embassy(2025)

    as Miranda Green

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Christmas at Fields Ranch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Angela

  • Invitation to a Murder(2023)

    as Miranda Green

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Spree(2020)

    as London

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Cat and the Moon(2019)

    as Jessica Peterson

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Painkillers(2018)

    as The Girl / Sarah Mendelsohn

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Basement(2018)

    as Kelly Owen

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Toybox(2018)

    as Samantha

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Papa(2018)

    as Jennifer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Monsters at Large(2018)

    as Katie Parker

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Ouija House(2018)

    as Samantha

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Love Unplugged(2017)

    as Rebecca Jones

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Malevolent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Ms Lowell

  • Deserted(2016)

    as Jae

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Executor(2017)

    as Tara

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Recovery Road(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Olivia

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • SWAT: Unit 887(2015)

    as Agent Melanie Hamlin

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Operator(2015)

    as Pamela Miller

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Checkmate(2015)

    as Lauren Campbell

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • American Beach House(2015)

    as Ms. Maureen

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • L.A. Slasher(2015)

    as The Actress

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Hoarder(2015)

    as Ella

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • ZK: Elephant's Graveyard(2015)

    as Toni

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Hope Lost(2015)

    as Alina

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Throwdown(2014)

    as Lisa Thoams

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain(2014)

    as Eva

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Starcrossed(2014)

    as Kat

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Mining for Ruby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Jessica King

  • A Resurrection(2013)

    as Jessie

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • I Will Follow You Into the Dark(2012)

    as Sophia Monet

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Apartment 1303 3D(2012)

    as Lara Slate

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Cyberstalker(2012)

    as Aiden Ashley

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Beauty and the Least: The Misadventures of Ben Banks(2012)

    as Amy Warner

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • You and I(2008)

    as Lana

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Don't Fade Away(2011)

    as Katherine Morrison

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Beautiful Life: TBL (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 5 episodes · as Sonja Stone

  • Homecoming(2009)

    as Shelby Mercer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Walled In(2009)

    as Sam Walczak

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Assassination of a High School President(2008)

    as Francesca Fachini

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • St. Trinian's(2007)

    as JJ French

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Virgin Territory(2007)

    as Pampinea

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Closing the Ring(2007)

    as Young Ethel Ann

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • British Film Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Oh in Ohio(2006)

    as Kristen Taylor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The O.C.(2003)

    Show 76 episodes · as Marissa Cooper

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Octane(2003)

    as Natasha 'Nat' Wilson

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Fastlane(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Simone Collins

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • A Ring of Endless Light(2002)

    as Vicky

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Tart(2001)

    as Grace Bailey

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Julie Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Lisa Johnson

  • Lost and Delirious(2001)

    as Mary 'Mouse' Bedford

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Paranoid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Theresa

  • Frankie & Hazel(2000)

    as Francesca 'Frankie' Humphries

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Skipped Parts(2000)

    as Maurey Pierce

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Once and Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 8 episodes · as Katie Singer

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Gladys Dalton

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Sixth Sense(1999)

    as Kyra Collins

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Notting Hill(1999)

    as 12-year-old Actress

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Pups (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Rocky

  • An Off-Beats Valentine's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Betty Ann Bongo (voice)

  • Lawn Dogs(1997)

    as Devon Stockard

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • New York Crossing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Drummond

  • The Off-Beats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 10 episodes · as Betty Anne Bongo (voice)

  • KaBlam! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 26 episodes · as Betty Ann Bongo (voice)

  • Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows

  • Neighbours(1985)

    Show 60 episodes · as Reece Sinclair

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Bad News on the Doorstep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • DragonMan: The Adventures of Luke Starr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Crystal Starr

  • The Mystery of the Golden Spear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Miranda Green

  • The O.C. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Marissa Cooper

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 71 titles, 67 of them dated from 1985 to 2026; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

Virgin Territory (2007)

$5.4M worldwide

Highest rated

Lawn Dogs (1997)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

The O.C. (2003)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19852026

Peak 2016 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 20 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1985Screen debut· Neighbours
  • 1997First film· Lawn Dogs
  • 1999First top-billed film· Pups
  • 2001Breakout· Lost and Delirious
  • 2001Career best· Lost and Delirious
  • 2003Career best· The O.C.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting71 of 71: 71 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score19th

By decade

1980s2 · acting1990s10 · acting2000s19 · acting2010s31 · acting2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 51% of 37 roles
97021217

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Mischa Barton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 16th percentile, the median of all 48; across their 43 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 14th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Approval · how many liked their films

12thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Midcredits score across 54 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th33

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 54 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned3
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic7
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed31

Most divisive · actor

Papa (2018)

95th percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 47/100 in their films, across 43 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 29. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mischa Barton's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles44–84 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles21–68 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles43–67 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles33–62 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles37–66 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Mischa Barton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mischa Barton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Timothy Woodward Jr. shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles