Mischa Barton thinks being sectioned was a “good” thing. The former O.C. star was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold earlier this year but says she appreciated the chance to take time out and reassess her life. She said: “I went to the hospital because of pain with my wisdom teeth and I ended up getting ‘put in’, but that’s because I was so overwhelmingly stressed out and upset. “I think it was my teeth and the stress of having a new job and travelling. I was miserable. Actresses aren’t given the time to recover after stuff like that – you’re expected to bounce back from surgery and work right away again. “I was shocked it went that far but I think it was necessary for me to take that time out. I’m so much more settled and calm now. “Ultimately, it was a positive thing.” Despite the stigma associated with mental health issues, Mischa insists lots of people suffer from disorders and are hospitalised. She added to Heat magazine: “It’s something that could’ve happened to anyone – going into hospital and having a bad experience then being held on an involuntary psychiatric hold. It happens to more people than you’d know. It’s a common thing.”

Where do you go after playing a glamorous model named Sonja Stone on The CW’s short-lived The Beautiful Life? How about to Law & Order: SVU as a hooker named Gladys? SVU executive producer Neal Baer has been twittering teases about Mischa’s casting with the clues: Bongo, Singer and Austin. The Texas/Bongo clues got me all excited that he was bringing Matthew McConaughey on to the show, but Baer called me up to exclusively reveal the casting of Mischa, who has played characters with those last three names. She played Katie Singer on Once and Again, Betty Ann Bongo on an animated series called Kablam!, and (Baer was really reaching) a character named Vicky Austin in a 2002 TV Movie called A Ring of Endless Light. (All he had to do was say Cooper, and we would have known he was talking about The OC star.) Baer says he first took a shine to Mischa when she was a kid actress in The Sixth Sense. “She’s gone on to do amazing work both on TV and on the stage,” says Baer, who thought casting Mischa as a hooker would surprise viewers. The episode, set to air March 3 (after the Olympics conclude) will reveal that Mischa’s character is hiding a secret that will prove complicating for Mariska Hargitay’s Benson. I’d just like to be on set when the AD’s yell out, “No, I said Mischa, not Mariska!” Source: TV Guide Magazine

We want to wish you a merry christmas, great holidays and a happy new year! This site is going on a little winter break. Don’t worry, we’re back in January 2010 with the latest on Miss Mischa Barton!

On November 24, Mischa was seen shopping at the Oscar Generale Showroom in Beverly Hills, CA. Previews below:

How far would you go to hang with the hottest girl on campus? Assassination of a High School President is an acid-tongued high-school comedy with attitude to spare, starring a sexy young cast including Mischa Barton (The O.C., The Sixth Sense), Reece Daniel Thompson (Rocket Science), and superstar Bruce Willis. Sophomore newspaper reporter Bobby Funke (Thompson) is assigned to write a cover story on popular class president and top athlete. After a stack of SAT tests is stolen from the office of hard-as-nails Principal Kirkpatrick (Willis), Funke publishes an expose that names Paul as the prime suspect and suddenly, Bobby is BMOC. But when Paul’s girlfriend, sexy senior Francesca (Barton), makes a move on Bobby and even his former bullies play nice, Funke begins to doubt the star jock’s guilt and everyone else’s motives. When his investigation uncovers a campus-wide conspiracy that threatens to take down students and teachers alike, Funke must decide to tell the truth or enjoy his new stud status. Also starring Michael Rapaport, Luke Grimes and Aaron Himelstein.
* 21 minutes of Extended and Alternate Scenes (all with optional filmmaker commentary)
* 7 minutes of Deleted Scenes (all with optional filmmaker commentary)
* Commentary track featuring director Brett Simon and screenwriters Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski
Click here to get your copy for $20.49 at Amazon.com.
Source: Amazon & A.V. Club