Is Mischa Barton Leaving The O.C.?

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Could this truly be the end for Ryan and Marissa? According to The New York Post, Mischa Barton is fed up with working on the The O.C., and is said to be trying to find any way to get out of the show.

Barton, worried about the show's spiraling ratings - and concerned about being typecast as a bratty teen - frequently calls in sick or arrives late to the set, according to a report in Life & Style magazine.

The publication quotes insiders who work on the show as being annoyed by Barton's sickouts and tardiness - especially since she's been known to hit the town and party hearty (and is the frequent subject of gossip-column items).

"She's definitely flirting with leaving the show," says one source. "But the real problem now is that she isn't taking work seriously."

Life imitating art? How apropos. It's no shock at all that Mischa is emulating her on-screen character. And while she may not be getting hooked on Cocaine (as far as we know...), she definitely seems to emulate the bad behaviour that Marissa Cooper has become known for. Frankly, I think Mischa's holding the show back, if anything, as is by far the worst character on the series. If I have to watch her go through another downward spiral of drugs and alcohol, well, I won't stop watching the show, but I will be very annoyed.