Ramsay Street… here we come – Mischa Barton is set to join Neighbours for the Australian soap’s revival.
The actress, who rose to fame in the early 2000s hit show The OC, will guest star in the forthcoming series – confirmed in 2022 just months after the original show was axed from Channel 5 in the UK.
In a statement, the official Neighbours social media accounts said the star will play Reece, an American who is new to the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough and is “not quite who she appears to be”.
Barton, 37, said: “I’m excited to be part of this iconic show’s next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia, a place I know and love!
“I think the character of Reece is going to be a great role for me to explore and play with.”
Barton appeared as a child star in The Sixth Sense and later the film Lawn Dogs before going on to become a household name playing Marissa Cooper in the first three seasons of The OC, a show about the lives of a close-knit group of people in the wealthy neighbourhood of Newport Beach, Orange County, California.
Also starring Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson and Ben McKenzie, the series featured cameos and appearances from a range of stars, including Olivia Wilde, George Lucas, Amber Heard, Paris Hilton and Chris Pratt.
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Coincidentally, there is already a Neighbours connection – Alan Dale, who played Jim Robinson in the Australian soap in the 1980s and ’90s, starred as ruthless businessman Caleb Nichol – Marissa’s step-father.
Barton later appeared in a revamped version of LA reality show The Hills and also in the music video for the Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds single Everybody’s On The Run.
Neighbours, which launched in 1985, seemingly came to an end after 37 years in July 2022, when former stars including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie joined the cast for what was then thought to be the final episode.
It came as the soap failed to secure new funding.
‘Viewers are going to love her’
Streaming site Amazon Freevee and production company Fremantle announced for a revival just months after the finale, with a new series to begin on the service in the autumn.
Neighbours’ executive producer Jason Herbison said: “With Neighbours launching on Amazon Freevee in North America, we are beyond excited to have an actor of Mischa’s calibre join us for the beginning of this exciting new chapter.
“Mischa’s character is dynamic and unpredictable, and will have an instant presence on Ramsay Street. Our loyal viewers are going to love her, locally and abroad.”
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The Neighbours reboot will see the return of a number of favourites including Karl and Susan Kennedy, Toadie Rebecchi and Paul Robinson.
It will premiere exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US and the site will also stream thousands of Neighbours episodes from previous series.
The series will also stream on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.