Peter Gallagher is grateful Mischa Barton is ‘still alive’ after dealing with ‘toxic’ fame as a teen star

Peter Gallagher is ‘grateful’ Mischa Barton is ‘still alive’ after dealing with ‘toxic’ fame as a teen star.

Mischa, now 38, was just 16 when she landed the role of Marissa Cooper in hit TV show The O.C. and went on to suffer personal problems which included a DUI arrest in 2007 and a hospitalization on mental health grounds two years later.

Her former TV dad Peter admits the actress is lucky to have survived after being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age.

Peter, 69, told The Independent, ‘I’ve always felt very protective of her. First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. 

‘She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful.’

Mischa opened up about her hospitalization in 2009 revealing she suffered a ‘breakdown’ and compared her experience to Angelina Jolie’s 1999 movie Girl, Interrupted.

‘It was a full-on breakdown. It was terrifying. Straight out of Girl, Interrupted. Story of my life… I was never suicidal. I was just overworked and depressed,’ she told People.

‘We thought, ‘Work hard, play hard,’ she said, adding, ‘But one slip of the tongue in a heightened moment and you find yourself in that situation,’ she explained.

‘I was deeply hurt at first, and then I accepted this was time I needed to be away from my family and all the pressure. I had been through the wringer.’

Mischa went on to admit living a ‘jet-set lifestyle’ in the public eye contributed to her problems and she needed to take time away to recover.

She said: ‘Nothing could prepare [my parents] to have their children jump into the overtly sexualized and crazy world of L.A.

‘It was a train I could not get off of. When you’re young, you can do it, but after a while, it’s going to come crashing down on you. I needed to be on my own and get healthy.

‘I just try to be balanced … I needed to take this time for me … I’ve learned a lot. I’m stronger now, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.’

Her former TV dad Peter, 69, admits the actress is lucky to have survived after being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age. Seen here in 2024

Mischa, now 38, was just 16 when she landed the role of Marissa Cooper in hit TV show The O.C. Seen here in 2024

Peter told The Independent , ‘I’ve always felt very protective of her. First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you’

‘She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful’

Mischa opened up about her hospitalization in 2009 revealing she suffered a ‘breakdown’ and compared her experience to Angelina Jolie ‘s 1999 movie Girl, Interrupted

‘It was a full-on breakdown. It was terrifying. Straight out of Girl, Interrupted. Story of my life … I was never suicidal. I was just overworked and depressed,’ she told People 

And once she got her mental health straight, she had to deal with all the comments about her weight. 

‘It was always, “She’s too skinny, she must be sick,”‘ Barton said.’Then it was, “She’s too big.” I was never the right weight.’ 

But everything she went through ended up having a good impact on her life.

‘I’ve learned a lot,’ she said. ‘I’m stronger now.’