Interview: Mischa Barton

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Mischa Barton is about to step into one of the most iconic roles in crime fiction as she makes her UK stage debut as Phyllis Nirdlinger in a new touring adaptation of Double Indemnity. The play, based on James M. Cain’s novel adapted for stage by Tom Holloway, will bring the seductive, dangerous antiheroine to life for contemporary audiences.

The story takes place in California during the Great Depression. An insurance salesman is drawn into Phyllis’s plan to murder her husband and take off with the money. Mischa explains what drew her to the project: “She’s a full-blown femme fatale, and she’s got many layers to her so she’s a great character to play because she’s not what she appears to be. It’s great material and has a nice pace to it.

It is a role steeped in legacy – immortalised by Billy Wilder’s 1944 film noir with Barbara Stanwyck in the lead role. Mischa has watched the film several times. “It’s such a great movie. But I’m definitely not trying to be Barbara Stanwyck, she’s great in the movie… phenomenal.

And while the play is inspired by the book and the film, it will have its own modern take. The story is nearly 90 years old, but aspects still resonate. “It is a story born out of desperation. And I think it translates pretty well today because a lot of people at the moment are going through hard times.”

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Mischa is looking forward to taking the play out to theatres around the country. While she toured Ireland with Steel Magnolias in 2012, this will be her first theatre tour in the UK.

One stop that is close to her heart is Richmond. She was born in Hammersmith, before moving to the US when she was five, and also has connections to the area through the Attenborough family – Richard was a mentor to Mischa in her early career, and a supportive figure after Mischa left The OC, the American teen show that made her name but put her under intense scrutiny at a young age.

Double Indemnity was originally set in the 1930s, an era that Mischa is drawn to – her recent films, Murder at the Embassy and Invitation to a Murder, see her play Miranda Green, a sleuth with a love of Agatha Christie. Says Mischa: “I love period pieces in general. I always feel like I was born of a different era and the 1930s is a really interesting time that lends itself to storytelling. And great fashion.”

She also got to film on location in Egypt. “That’s another great aspect to these films in that it is not all CGI and film sets and we get to go to these places. The next [Miranda Green] one should be filming in South Africa.”

Mischa’s latest film is Sleepwalker with Hayden Panettiere. “Hayden’s character delves into this kind of psychosis and then, well, I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a fast-paced thriller.” Filming has also just wrapped on Sanctuary, where Mischa plays a character who is being cyberstalked. “She has her digital footprint taken away from her and it is messing up her new life that she’s worked so hard for.”

It has been a busy time for Mischa and she’s enjoying some downtime before rehearsals start for the play. Our interview takes place just before Christmas with Mischa looking relaxed at her sister’s house in the Cotswolds. “I’ve done a lot this year, which is a good thing. It’s nice to be settled in the UK now for the foreseeable future and to get a routine going. I like long walks and cycling around the area when the weather is good.”

Mischa typically divides her time between London and New York. “I try to spend at least half my time here. It’s just nice to be close to family. I feel more at home here sometimes than I do in America.”

Both places have an influence on her creatively, but she says: “I like coming over here because the arts are so strong and respected in a way that maybe sometimes they aren’t always in America and I really just enjoy watching and listening to things over here in general.

She says she would like to do more stage work, but adds: “I think it depends on the play. You’ve really got to find something that you’re thrilled to do day in and day out, and Double Indemnity is one of them. The reason for me moving back to New York from California was to be closer to the theatre scene, to be immersed in that world, and I’ve found that very helpful for me.” As to what she’d like to explore next? “I’d love to do something kind of cool, like a feminist 1960s or 70s piece. That would be good.

Mischa made her feature film debut in Lawn Dogs in 1997, and went on to appear in films such as The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill in  1999, before hitting the big time in The OC.

Her favourite roles? “I guess, for me, it’s more like what have been my favourite projects. Doing the movie [Closing the Ring in 2007] with Richard Attenborough always springs out because he was such a great director to work with, and I really liked my character. I also still have a really soft place in my heart for Lawn Dogs, so I guess the character of Devon still means a lot to me. And I enjoyed doing The OC – it was just a completely different experience.”

In January, Mischa will turn 40. As it falls during rehearsals for the tour, plans for a big party are on hold while she’s preparing mentally and physically for the role.

But she will celebrate the milestone. “I’m getting more and more excited as time goes on. I’m looking forward to my 40s, and I have a really good group of people around me now, and most of my close friends are older than me.

What does she hope the decade will hold? Career-wise, some demanding roles, she says. “I’d also just like to be more settled in one place, on a personal level. For now it’s not bothering me too much, but I do tend to travel constantly and jump around a lot. So I think one of the main goals would be to be a little bit more settled, get my dogs in order, and to create a home.” UK or US? “I think it’ll be the US, but I don’t really know. Maybe Upstate New York.

When in London, she is based in Kensington, where she loves spending time at the V&A, walking in Hyde Park and kicking back in neighbourhood cafes. “I would have had a different answer in my 20s. I lived in Shoreditch. But now I like my local parks and my local block.” When she’s not working, her perfect day is simple. “Hang out with the dogs, go for a walk, maybe see a museum or a play,” she says.

As she prepares for the tour, she’s clearly excited about what audiences will get from the show. “I hope it will be a really fun night out at the theatre,” she says. “I can’t wait to be playing her.”

Double Indemnity, Richmond Theatre, 3 -7 March.
doubleindemnityplay.co.uk